REsilience is a self evaluation, planning and training opportunity for teachers of RE. The programme is school based and tailored to individual needs. Its purpose is to help increase teachers’ confidence when addressing contentious issues, particularly where such issues are sometimes used to justify extremism and violence.

Belief-based extremism raises contentious and highly sensitive issues and is a topical area of public interest. Most young people are aware that throughout history some extremists have used belief-based arguments to justify violence against people with whom they disagree. Whether young people are equally well-informed about the motivation for such attacks, or about the attitude of mainstream believers, is less certain.

In RE, young people explore the faiths, beliefs and values of our communities; but raising or responding to questions about extremism poses challenges for even the most experienced teachers. An important aspect of this subject is the dispelling of ignorance and misconceptions that create suspicion and barriers between communities. Hence the need for REsilience.

For further information, please see downloadable flyer.

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The programme is being delivered by the Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC).