Religion, values and ethics: transformational religious education in Wales?

A process of reform of Welsh education was initiated in 2015 by a curriculum review led by Professor Graham Donaldson, against the background of mounting evidence of academic underachievement and low levels of pupil self-esteem under successive (Welsh) Labour governments. Despite Professor Donaldson having little to say about religious education, the government embarked on an ambitious and controversial programme of reform. The aim of this article is to provide a short account of the process and results of reform, alongside an initial assessment. Attention is given to the original proposals, their interpretation and revision through successive documents, the final legislation, i.e. the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021, and subsequent statutory guidance. The article concludes with an attempt to 'make sense' of the Welsh Government's reform of religious education by identify the commitments and influences that lie behind and integrate the various reform proposals.