Get ready for Education Sunday: A learning people in a time of change

Education Sunday is on 13 September this year.

A range of resources is being developed, including an online service, ideas you can use if you are meeting in church, and outlines for collective worship in schools. They’ll be available shortly on http://www.educationsunday.org.uk/

There are two ways in which you can make a contribution to Education Sunday before September:

• Write a prayer about education, connecting with the theme. Anyone of any age is invited to do this.

• Think about what you have learnt in this time of change. Write it down and send it, ideally with a photo of yourself (stating your permission for us to use it). You might have learnt something about yourself, something about your community, something about God – we’d love to know, and we’ll include these in our online resource.

If you’re sending a prayer or telling us what you’ve learnt, please send them to: sarah.lane.cawte@freechurches.org.uk

(photo courtesy of Joanna Kosinska at Unsplash)

Pioneering work in Religious Education: Anti-racist RE

The Free Churches Group is working with RE Today Services and Methodist Schools to create a free resource for Anti-racist RE.

Lat Blaylock from RE Today Services, the lead developer of the resource, said, 

“I’m really pleased to be working with the Free Churches Group, the Methodist Church and a wide range of teachers of RE from black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities on a resource project for anti-racist RE. It has been really pleasing to gain the interest of many hundreds of schools already in this work. We’ve begun developing resources that will challenge learners in RE lessons to think more carefully about race. We hope to engage with questions of justice, religious perspectives and ways to reduce prejudice and the harms it causes. RE has a very long commitment to enabling learning from diversity, but I do think we are currently needing refreshed approaches to the challenges posed by questions about racial justice.”

The resource will be available for schools from September and will be free to download and use from the Free Churches Group website.

The project follows the success of Reforming Christianity, a resource that the same team developed, and which is available on the Free Churches Group website https://www.freechurches.org.uk/reforming-christianity

Both projects have been funded by the Westhill Endowment, meeting the need to provide more resources in RE that reflect Free Church perspectives.

(image below from RE Today Services, cover photo by Agence Olloweb at Unsplash)

Care in the Classroom...

Spinnaker “support primary schools with assemblies, clubs and RE lessons" and are based in the South East, but their resources and support materials are available for all schools, churches and children’s groups to use and share.

They are very pleased to be able to offer this 'Pastoral Primer' to any and all Teachers and Learning Support Staff. “Caring in the Classroom”.

You can find out more about their work HERE.

Spinnaker - engaging, inspiring, equipping

(image below from Spinnaker, cover photo courtesy of Khadeeja Yasser at Unsplash)

A Free Churches letter to the Minister of State for Universities

The Free Churches Group has written an open letter to Michelle Donelan MP, Minister of State for Universities, highlighting the challenges faced by the sector because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and urging her to put safeguard the well-being of students and the ongoing contribution of universities to society.

Revd Paul Rochester, the General Secretary of the Free Churches Group points out the risk that groups of students and potential students who are already disadvantaged, might encounter further barriers if provision is not made to address the “digital divide” in society.

The use of graduate salaries as a measure of quality of education is criticised as it disadvantages universities and other providers which prepare students for careers in lower-paid but crucial roles in healthcare and other vocations that benefit society.

Universities, the letter says, should be key agents for social mobility, overcoming barriers to opportunity arising from social class, ethnicity, location or disability.

The churches have a role to play in supporting universities, their staff and students, from welcoming international students to providing spaces for study if social distancing means that university campuses have reduced capacity.

The letter ends with an invitation to the Minister to have further conversation about ways in which churches might play a significant role in the national recovery and other areas of education policy.

You can read the full text of the letter HERE.
           
Note:

The Free Churches Group is an ecumenical body of 24 denominations and church groups that work together to promote faithful witness in the public square.

For further information please contact:
Sarah Lane Cawte, Free Churches Education Officer
sarah.lane.cawte@freechurches.org.uk        0203 651 8339

To see the Free Churches Group’s publications and statements on education, visit

(photo courtesy of Kate Macate at Unsplash)

Sharing some good news!

Barbara Easton, a long standing and dedicated member of the Free Church Education Committee (FCEC) has been elected to serve as the Vice-President of the Methodist Conference for 2021/22. She joins with Rev Sonia Hicks who will serve as the President. Warmest congratulations to you both on your election, from all in the FCEC! You can read the full story here.

The Free Churches Group has a good working relationship with the Methodist Church (who are a member group of FCG). We will look forward to continuing and strengthening these links as Sonia and Barbara develop in their new roles.

Rev Sonia Hicks

Mrs Barbara Easton