Should Religious Education Foster National Consciousness?

Dr Nicholas Tate, Chief Executive of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority has argued recently that national consciousness and identity should be promoted through the school curriculum. This raises the question: ‘How should Religious Education teachers in state schools respond if required to nurture children into national consciousness particularly through the teaching of Christianity?’ This fundamental issue is explored using John Habgood's concept of critical solidarity and linking it with the British tradition of the nonconformist conscience. The paper concludes by advocating nurturing into a global rather than national consciousness through Religious Education.