What action is the Welsh Government taking to secure the future of religion, values and ethics education, given the decline in GCSE and A-Level religious studies entries and the loss of theology and religious study degree provision, and how will this action ensure a pipeline of specialist teachers?
The Welsh Government is taking decisive action to address challenges in recruiting and retaining specialist teachers for Religion, Values and Ethics (RVE) within the Curriculum for Wales. Latest Education Workforce Council data shows progress, with 20 students awarded Qualified Teacher Status in Religious Education in 2024/25 up from 11 in 2023/24. To strengthen the pipeline, we have convened a working group with WASACRE and key partners to identify strategies for attracting entrants to Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes and equipping the wider humanities workforce to deliver RVE. This includes developing professional learning modules to support practitioners with curriculum changes, investing £500,000 in WJEC’s professional learning programme, expanding resources via Hwb, and prioritising RVE for Adnodd funding. Additionally, the establishment of a national Professional Learning and Leadership body and continued local authority support underpin our commitment to high-quality provision. These measures ensure that RVE remains a core component of the national curriculum and that Wales maintains a sustainable supply of specialist teachers.