Religious studies` students fell by 3.5 percent in England this year

RELIGIOUS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – The number of students who sat A-level Religious Studies this summer has fallen by 3.5 percent in England and 24 percent in Wales.

14,690 students took an RS A level in England in 2023 compared with 15,216 in 2022, while in Wales entries were recorded at 748, a fall from 982. This reverses a recent growth trend.

Between 2003 and 2022, A level RS was one of the fastest growing subjects at A level, with an increase of 39 percent in the number of entries.

The Religious Education Council of England and Wales is blaming the decline on the lack of specialist RS teachers, which has meant some schools, particularly in the Midlands and North East, are now struggling to offer the subject at A level.