As students receive their A–Level results today, Theos have put together this open letter highlighting the importance of religious education in higher education. 14/08/2025
Many of the students across England and Wales who are receiving their A–level results this week will be looking forward to going on to higher education in September.
However, many HE institutions are reducing staffing levels and ceasing to offer some courses, in an attempt to balance their budgets at a time of financial pressure. This results in a narrowing of the opportunities available to these young people as they take their studies forward.
One of the subject areas that is being hit hardest by these reductions is Theology and Religious Studies. There will soon be only 21 HE institutions in England and Wales that offer an undergraduate degree in Theology and Religious Studies. For comparison, 90 run undergraduate degree courses in History, 80 in Music and 101 in Sociology.
This impacts on student choice, but it also has adverse effects for society. Theology plays a crucial role in the intellectual, ethical and cultural development of communities. It equips people with the tools to engage more thoughtfully with global cultures and traditions and to engage deeply with complex sacred texts. It provides space for interfaith dialogue in an environment where people from different backgrounds (including the non–religious, because Theology and Religious Studies is by no means the preserve of believers), and creates room for students to explore issues of belief together. In an increasingly polarised world, it helps us understand other points of view.
Theological education often leads people into service–oriented careers where they contribute to social cohesion and moral leadership, and strengthen civil society. One such career is teaching. But there are already too few qualified entrants to RE teaching. 51% of RE lessons are taught by teachers whose main specialism is in another subject, and in the 2024–25 academic year, only 20% of new entrants to RE Initial Teacher Training had a degree in Theology and Religious Studies.
Beyond service–oriented careers, Theology & Religious Studies also develops skills in the careful analysis of evidence (ideal for careers in law or criminology), or the art of persuasion and storytelling (ideal for careers in politics, journalism or screenwriting).
The future looks increasingly complex, diverse and pluralistic; local, national and global changes require us to wrestle with moral, ethical and spiritual challenges and ideas well. We owe it to the citizens of tomorrow to equip them with the tools to navigate this future and live together better. We can think of few better tools within our education system than Theology & Religious Studies.
Signatories:
1. Chine McDonald, Director, Theos
2. The Rt Revd Professor Rowan Williams FBA
3. James Norton, Actor
4. James Dacre, Theatre Director
5. Tom Swarbrick, LBC Presenter
6. Anna McNamee, Executive Director, Sandford St Martin Trust
7. Carrie Alderton, Interim CEO of the Faith & Belief Forum
8. Dr Wajid Akhter, Secretary–General, Muslim Council of Britain
9. Professor Jagbir Jhutti–Johal, Professor of Sikh Studies, department of Theology
and Religion, University of Birmingham
10.Dr Tim Hutchings, Associate Professor of Religious Ethics, University of
Nottingham, and TRS–UK
11.Ravin J Ganatra, Actor
12.Patrick Watt, CEO, Christian Aid
13.Imam Monawar Hussain MBE DL FRSA MCCT, Founder, The Oxford Foundation
14.Dr Ed Kessler MBE, Founder President, Woolf Institute
15.Grace Davie, Professor Emeritus, University of Exeter
16.Dr Kathryn Wright, Chief Executive, Culham St Gabriel’s Trust
17. Lord Singh of Wimbledon, Director Network of Sikh Organisations UK
18.Dr Deesha Chadha OBE, National Executive Committee (Interfaith), Hindu
Forum of Britain
19.Michael Wakelin, Executive Chair of the Religion Media Centre, former BBC
Head of Religion and Ethics
20.Professor Chris Baker, Professor of Religion, Belief and Public Life, Goldsmiths,
University of London
21.Dr Opinderjit Kaur Takhar MBE, President ,TRS–UK
22.Ruth Peacock, Director, Religion Media Centre
23.Dr Richard Kueh, Formerly Senior His Majesty’s Inspector & National Lead
Inspector of Religious Education, Ofsted; Visiting Scholar, Canterbury Christ
Church University; Director of School Improvement, Cam Academy Trust
24.Sarah March, programmes co–ordinator, education & learning, The Faith & Belief
Forum
25.Professor John Lydon KC*HS Professor of Catholic Education St Mary’s
University Twickenham
26. Louise Kirk, UK Coordinator, Alive to the World
27.Professor Bartholomew McGettrick OBE
28.Mike Otter, Head of Education, Bible Society
29. Luke Walton, Producer, The Pitch Film Fund
30.Dr Rob Barward–Symmons, Co–Director of the Centre for the Study of Modern
Christianity
31.Richard Collyer–Hamlin, Chair, Catholic Union
32.Professor Peter Hindmarsh, Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Endocrinology and
Chair, Catholic Union Charitable Trust
33.Dave Legrand, Chair of Association of Teachers of Catholic Religious Education
34.Sarah Lane Cawte, Chair of the Religious Education Council of England and
Wales
35.Revd Dr Tessa Henry–Robinson, Moderator, Free Churches Group of England
and Wales
36.Katie Freeman, Chair, The National Association of Teachers of RE
37.Er. Trupti Patel, President, Hindu Forum of Britain
38.Sister Judith Russi SSMN B.Ed. MA Director EducareM
39.Dr Dominika Kurek–Chomycz, Associate Professor in New Testament Studies,
Liverpool Hope University
40.Rev Dr Andrew Cheatle, Principal Lecturer in Theology and Pastoral Theology,
Liverpool Hope University
41.Dr Simon Podmore, Associate Professor in Theology, Liverpool Hope University
42.Rev Canon Dr Yazid Said, Senior Lecturer in Islam, Liverpool Hope University
43.Rev Dr Taras Khomych, Senior Lecturer in Patristic and Byzantine Theology,
Liverpool Hope University
44.Dr Caroline Healy, General Secretary, Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools
and Colleges.
45.John Nish, President, Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges
(CATSC)
46.Professor Denise Cush, Professor Emerita of Religion and Education, Bath Spa
University
47.Derek Holloway, Chair, Association of Church College Trusts
48.Matthew Dell, Executive Member of the Association of Teachers of Catholic
Religious Education
49.Dr Sean Whittle, Executive Chair, Association of University Lecturers in Religious
Education
50.Dr Paul–François Tremlett, President of the British Association for the Study of
Religions
51.Aliya Azam MBE, Interfaith Coordinator, Al–Khoei Foundation
52.Bob Bowie, Director, National Institute for Christian Education Research
53. Tulsi Seva Dasi, Chair, Central Bedfordshire Standing Advisory Council for
Religious Education
54.Dr. Linda Whitworth, Chair of Trustees, Culham St. Gabriel’s Trust
55.Alastair Reid, General Secretary, The Independent Schools Christian Alliance
56.Professor Graham Handscomb, Chair of the Free Churches Group Education
Committee
57.Kevin McSharry, Chair, Teachers’ Enterprise in Religious Education
58.Claire Clinton, Chair, The National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on
RE
59.Bill Moore, Chair, The National Association of Standing Advisory Councils on RE
60.Denise Chaplin, Chair, The National Association of Standing Advisory Councils
on RE
61.Paul Smalley, Academic and Education Consultant
62.Jan McGuire, Co–Chair, Association of Religious Education Inspectors, Advisers
and Consultants
63.Minister Jackie Wright, President of the Spiritualists’ National Union
64.Nicola Walsh, Headteacher, The Sacred Heart Language College Harrow
65.Josephine Backus, Chair and Education Officer NBO, Network of Buddhist
Organisations
66.Sister Marcellina Cooney CP, CEO, Teachers’ Enterprise in Religious Education
67.Dr Caroline Healy, General Secretary, Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools
and Colleges
68.Pamela Draycott, Chair, Christian Education Movement
69.Stephen Mitchell, Co–Founder, Sea of Faith Movement
70.Professor Julian Stern, Director, The World Religions and Education Research
Unit, Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln
71.Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director, The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies
72.Sarah Evans, Chair of Trustees, Westhill Endowment
73.Krishna Kotecha, Manager, ISKCON Educational Services
74.Yazad Unwalla, Head of Religious Studies, Charter School East Dulwich
75.Dr Maureen Glackin, Religious Education Advisor, Catholic Education Service
