A MAJOR shake-up of religious education is under way with the help of Lancashire’s schoolchildren.

Education bosses at the county council are reviewing the RE syllabus in a bid to promote community cohesion, encourage understanding between religions as well as develop a host of communication skills.

And in the first stages of the consultation education bosses have revealed children have asked to get out of the classroom, learn creatively instead of reading from books and to hold religious activities, such as traditional Hindu dancing for example, during lesson time.

During the fifth SACRE, Lancashire Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education, youth conference around 60 children and young people sat down with teachers and religious leaders to look at what makes good religious education lessons.

The conference was organised for the new syllabus, which will be published and rolled out in 2011, as part of strict Government legislation which states the council must review it.

Helen Harrison, Lancashire Consultant for RE, said: “Schools said RE should not be about reading or writing it is the subject for community cohesion.

“I think sometimes people misunderstand what RE is about.

“Skills for the subject include empathy, enquiry, evaluation and understanding which is the idea behind community cohesion in schools. We will be building on four main attitudes, open mindedness, respect for all, appreciation and wonder but we want children to be self aware.

“We want to build, change and exemplify the current model and incorporate more of a practical element in it.

“We do part of this with Imams at the mosque visiting schools.”

County Coun Susie Charles, cabinet member for children and schools, said: "The teaching of RE is such an important area and we want to get it right.

"In Lancashire we are lucky to have SACRE to advise us and now we can shape the curriculum according to their wisdom, coupled with the insight of our children and young people."