Responding to plans to broaden GCSE Religious Education, so all pupils must study at least one religion more than the religion of their 'faith school', George Cowley apparently welcomes the move, stating that he gains "insights from many religions" (15 November).

However, he then immediately asserts, apropos of nothing, that "Atheists are shortsighted." So, apparently, tolerance of secular people isn't one of his acquired insights!

Nor is truth. The fact is atheists, humanists and secularists have long been at the forefront of calling for reforms like these, toward a more comparative Religious Education!

Sometimes our call has been to replace RE with a broader, reformed subject, but certainly atheists have always been foremost among campaigners who argue that children shouldn't be boxed into a single religion. The present reforms mean all RE pupils will have the opportunity to develop a more useful, more informed worldview, broadening their horizons and better enabling community cohesion. This is what secular activists have called for. Not so shortsighted!

It's only a shame that an optional module on humanist or secular values has been explicitly excluded from these reforms, even though we know more and more young people are non-religious in their outlook!

The old RE in which 'faith schools' could focus narrowly on a single religion was a bit like restricting History classes to a single, favoured country.

To continue the analogy, excluding humanism and secularism from RE is like a History GCSE that excludes all world events after 1899. That omission is what leaves these reforms shortsighted, not George's bogeyman atheists.

Bob Churchill

London