An unexpected solution to rise of far right in Scotland? Religious education

Struggling with a lack of specialist teachers and dedicated teaching time in schools, and a variation in curriculum quality across the UK, religious education, or RE, cannot always get its value recognised. But with the challenges facing our young people from far-right extremism, it is better placed than most subjects to offer something unique to support the wider school curriculum.

Whilst religious beliefs are generally believed to be on the decline in the UK, church attendance in England and Wales has actually increased by 50 per cent over the past six years – with young people aged between 18 and 24 as the second largest demographic in attendance. And the popularity of papal thriller Conclave amongst younger audiences has shown that religion is still very much a talking point in 2025.

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Pupils want to learn about politics

Despite RE often being given less care and attention than other subjects, arguably it’s the perfect space for these important discussions to happen – and my research more than backs this up.

My conversations with pupils and RE professionals in England show that many share the concerns around the influence of far-right extremism in schools, which could lead to potential radicalisation and violent extremism. Emerging from these discussions is a strong agreement that there is a need to integrate far-right extremism as a subject in the RE curriculum.

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Contrary to what we may believe, pupils actually want to learn about political issues in school. They see RE as having a role in this, and recognise key areas of overlap between religion and politics. Pupils associate this learning with in-class debates and recognise that specialist RE teachers have the skills and confidence to manage discussions around controversial issues in the classroom. They can also help pupils come to moral conclusions.

In line with the controversy around the political impartiality guidance issued to teachers, pupils also recognise that teachers are worried about staying neutral, and may hold back because of fears about what they can and can’t say. This is something that research with RE professionals has flagged. It is vital that teachers feel supported and free to guide pupils toward positive values when addressing issues of intolerance and prejudice.

What is real?

The far right has been increasing its online presence as pupils are spending more time online post-Covid. However, my findings show that young people are not naive to the risks of online information; rather, they are just unsure about what is real and trustworthy. They can access information online about religions, but are not always sure how to interpret it. They want more support – and see teachers as having a role in this.

Pupils' identities are also being affected by online influencers, something the far right has exploited with the increase of extremist influencers. Using mainstream platforms, these influencers post videos designed to create a sense of authenticity. They also adopt an approach that is casual, informal and conversational, bringing a level of intimacy which can support far-right, extremist recruitment and radicalisation through community building and the creation of a sense of belonging.

I asked pupils about what affects their identity, and influencers came out on top. They ranked ahead of people they grew up with, and older generations, including parents and grandparents. They recognised that influencers could be positive or negative, using beauty influencers as an example. Again, however, they mentioned that they didn’t know who to trust and could be influenced in the wrong way.

In response to this, pupils seem to have a yearning for real-life encounters away from their virtual life. They want to engage with reality in a more meaningful way. They want to go places, to meet people and to be able to gauge for themselves, in this way, who and what to trust.

Experiencing different world views

In RE, pupils are frequently given the opportunity to engage with real-life stories and living religion through meeting people of different religions and world views, and visiting places of worship. They can see things for themselves, ask questions and encounter beliefs and values in a way not achievable online. This can play a crucial role in countering the far-right narratives surrounding religion, including antisemitism and Islamophobic views.

Whilst many of their friends and family were religious, some pupils were missing out on opportunities to engage with religion and world views in their own communities, and there was an obvious curiosity around what others believe and practice.

RE teachers are often the ones who illuminate children’s lives by discussing the rich variety of cultures, communities and religions which are on their doorstep. This can help to counter localised, far-right, extremist narratives that feed on the vulnerabilities of certain areas and help build a stronger community.

Ultimately, including far-right extremism in RE will help to build pupils’ resilience against radicalisation and support informed decision-making.

RE teachers can see the need to address far-right extremism in the classroom and can easily identify opportunities to do this. They just require support from their school leaders, engagement from parents and help from the local community to make this learning stick.

Fay Lowe is a researcher at the University of Glasgow, supported by Culham St Gabriel’s