QUOTES FROM THE MEDIA
RE SUFFERS AS GOVERNMENT STARVES IT OF FUNDS, NEW REVIEW FINDS A spike in GCSE entries for religious studies since 2010 is tailing off rapidly, owing in part to zero government funding for the subject in the past five years, new research suggests… During this period … the government did not spend any money on RE, compared with the large sums spent on English (£28.5 million), science (£56 million), maths (£154 million) and music (£387 million). In addition, the 2021–22 teacher-training bursary for RE was scrapped, despite a failure to meet RE teacher-recruitment targets in nine of the past ten years. One quarter of RE lessons were taught by teachers with no post-A-level qualifications… Teaching RE is a legal requirement for all schools in England. Currently, all maintained schools (local authority) have a statutory duty to teach RE; academies and free schools are contractually required to do so through the terms of their funding agreement with the Department for Education… Deborah Weston, a National Association of Teachers of Religious Education research officer … said ... ‘It is a great shame that RE is being neglected by the government and marginalised by some schools.’
CHURCHES URGED TO BE VIGILANT AFTER RISE IN METAL THEFT A Christian insurer has warned of a rise in metal thefts at churches as the UK emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic… Churches are targeted by criminal gangs for their metal, including lead and copper. The gangs ruthlessly strip metal components from historic church buildings, leaving them in need of thousands of pounds worth of repairs. Ecclesiastical fears a spike in criminal activity driven by the end of restrictions and a challenging economic climate... Ecclesiastical is calling on churches to review their security arrangements and consider installing measures like anti-climb paint, security lights and roof alarms. Christian Today
PEOPLE ARE TURNING OFF FRIDGES TO MAKE ENDS MEET SAYS CHRISTIAN FOOD BANK MANAGER A food bank manager in Cornwall has said some people are turning off their fridges overnight to help cut down on bills as the cost of living rises. It comes as inflation has reached 9 per cent – its highest level for 40 years… Amidst the uncertainty, more people are turning to food banks to help feed their families. Simon Fann from Truro Foodbank told Premier… ‘People that were very kindly able to give donations in the past are now struggling and questioning themselves whether they can actually donate’… He also said some people are switching off their appliances, including fridges, overnight to save money. Premier
SIR JOHN MAJOR: ‘THE CHURCH MUSTN’T BE PUSHED INTO THE SIDELINES OF LIFE’ AMIDST GOVERNMENT’S RWANDA DEPORTATION PLANS Former prime minister John Major says ‘the church must not be pushed into the sidelines of life’ amidst the government’s Rwanda deportation plan. Speaking at Newcastle Cathedral at the National Cathedrals Conference ... Sir John defended the right of church leaders to comment publicly on matters of politics. Sir John said: ‘The Church mustn’t be pushed into the sidelines of life... Politics is about how we live; that cannot – and should not – be ignored by the Church.’ Sir John went on to say that the government’s Rwanda deportation plan, will put ‘a stain on the country’s reputation’ if it is not reversed. He said: ‘In England, in 1763, Lord Chancellor Henley said, “If a man steps foot in England, he is a free man.” ‘Today … if that man is a refugee in a rubber boat, he receives a chilly welcome and the threat of deportation to Rwanda. ‘I cannot believe that is the right way forward: such a policy is not a moral advance, and I hope the government will look again.’ Premier
Church Times
SALVATIONIST salvationist.org.uk/media/magazine Issue No 1861
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Salvationist 4 June 2022
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