Thursday, August 19, 2004
Boom in UK religious studies in the wake of September 11
Record numbers of sixth-formers sat A-levels in religious studies this summer, according to official statistics published yesterday.
The dramatic rise was attributed to teenagers' desire to understand world religions in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks and the Iraq war, according to headteachers and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the Government's exam regulator.
The students who will receive their A-level results today were the first to choose their courses after the 11 September terrorist attacks in 2001.
Religious studies A-level showed the biggest percentage increase in candidates of any subject this summer. Nearly 14,500 students sat the exam this summer, up from 12,671 last year, a rise of 13.8 per cent.
A spokesman for the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority attributed the increase to interest in world affairs following the 11 September attacks.
"Obviously, religion is playing an increased role in world affairs and I think students are choosing to take religious studies because they see that it will give them a greater understanding of the world we live in."
David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said international Islamic terrorism and the Iraq war were likely to be fuelling students' hunger for knowledge about world religions. "I think they are genuinely concerned about stability in the world."
He said the increase in the number of religious studies A-level candidates probably did not mean students were becoming "more religious".
"It may well reflect a genuine interest in world religion and studying why these conflicts seem to have their roots in religious tension," he said.
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