Religious Education in England

The RE Review report is now published following eighteen months of development work and consultation. The full report includes the curriculum framework, a discussion of the wider context for RE and a series of questions to inform future work and development, as well as the recommendations of the Expert Panel report. 
A summary report includes the introduction and the curriculum framework. Both versions are available in printed form as well as free to download. 

http://resubjectreview.recouncil.org.uk/re-review-report

 The intro starts with the following:

Every child and young person who goes to school is entitled to an experience of religious
education (RE) that is both academically challenging and personally inspiring. To that end, the RE
Council of England and Wales (REC) undertook a review of the subject in England (referred to as
‘the Review’). It has drawn as widely as possible on the expertise of the RE community to develop
a benchmark curriculum that promotes high quality learning and teaching in all schools in the
coming years, and to map out issues for further development. School structures are becoming
increasingly diverse in England. It is important that within this diversity, schools’ RE curricula
give all young people the opportunity to gain an informed understanding of religious beliefs and
worldviews

 

Religious Education in Finland

In the comprehensive and upper secondary schools, students belonging to a religious community are given religious education. Those who do not belong to a religious community are taught ethics. Denominational teaching other than Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox is given if there are at least three pupils or students belonging to the same religious community and their paretns request it.

Curricula for different religions are created jointly by religious communities and educational authorities. The aim of a religious education curriculum is to familiarise pupils with their own religio nand the Finnish traditions of belief, to acquaint students with other religions and help them understand the cultural and human significance of religions.

The current reform of curricula will also influence the status of religious education. See

http://www.oph.fi/english/102/0/ops2016_renewal_of_the_core_curriculum_for_pre-primary_and_basic_education