Schools 'struggling to teach about Christianity in RE' He said the subject was "challenging and vibrant in some schools," but added: "The fact that the basics are often already vaguely familiar to some teachers and pupils means it can present problems. For instance, the presentation of Christianity can be incoherent, lacking in intellectual development, or too stereotypical. Teaching about Christianity should engage pupils with the depth and breadth of the Christian tradition, present the subtlety of diversity, and provide an academic challenge. The university's department of education said concerns had been raised in the past by Ofsted inspectors into the teaching of the subject. "One problem identified in research literature is that teachers are sometimes nervous about tackling issues related to Christianity because they are worried that it could be considered as evangelising," it was claimed. The online materials will provide a basic background on RE generally, with a focus on the teaching of Christianity. They also touch on issues of personal faith and how this sits with teaching the subject. To coincide with the launch of the project, the university commissioned a survey of 1,800 adults on the issue of Christianity in schools. Almost two-thirds said the subject was vital to boost more general understanding of English history, while six-in-10 insisted it was important to understand our culture and way of life. When asked how lessons could be improved, more than half of adults said they should focus on the history of the religion, major festivals such as Easter and Christmas and how Christianity distinguished between right and wrong. A third of those surveyed backed further teaching about the Bible and the Lord's Prayer. Religious education is currently compulsory in state schools for pupils aged five to 16. But critics claim that large numbers of schools are shunning the subject because it is not included in the "English Baccalaureate" - a new school leaving certificate that rewards pupils" progress in English, maths, science, languages, history and geography. John Keast, chairman of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales, said: "For several years inspection reports have shown that the teaching of Christianity, which is a key part of the RE curriculum in our schools, is too weak. Research and training are key to improving the teaching of all aspects of RE, but with opportunities for teachers of RE to access good quality training now being so cut back, this initiative is a welcome step forward. Andrew Copson, chief executive of the British Humanist Association, said: "It's true recent national inspections of RE have shown that Christianity is often poorly taught about. However they have also shown the same thing about non-religious beliefs such as humanism, the teaching of which stands in more urgent need of well-funded academic research by virtue of their more recent arrival on the curriculum.