Stormont Education Minister vows to maintain Christian ethos in NI schools

Northern Ireland’s Education Minister has vowed to ensure that a Christian ethos in schools is maintained.

Paul Givan was speaking in the Stormont Assembly after a Supreme Court judgment that the provision of Christian religious education at schools in the region does not comply with human rights standards.

The court upheld an appeal brought by a pupil at a Belfast school and her father and reinstated an earlier court ruling that the teaching of RE and collective worship breaches human rights as it does not approach the subject in an “objective, critical and pluralist manner”.

The pupil, known as JR87, was at a controlled primary school in Belfast in 2019 when, as part of the curriculum, she took part in non-denominational Christian religious education and collective worship.

Mr Givan was asked about the judgment in an urgent oral question at the Assembly on Monday by TUV MLA Timothy Gaston.

He told MLAs he will consider the judgment in full before determining any remedies that “both respect the law and safeguard the role of religion in education”.

He said the court held that the arrangements for religious education and collective worship in this case breached European Convention rights, and that the core syllabus for religious education does not provide teaching in an objective, critical and pluralist manner.

But he said it did not strike down existing legislation that both religious education and collective worship can and legally are required to continue in schools.

“The case is not about whether Christianity should be the main or primary faith that pupils learn about in schools in Northern Ireland,” he told MLAs.

“Historically and today, Christianity is the main religion in Northern Ireland.

“Furthermore, the court has explained that it is within the department’s margin of appreciation in planning and setting the curriculum for the greater part of religious education to focus on knowledge of Christianity.

“This is a complex judgment that cannot be ignored, but it is important to fully understand the issues before acting.

“I have requested further legal advice to understand the full implications of the judgment, and will issue comprehensive guidance to schools on both issues in the coming weeks to ensure consistency and legal compliance, and I will be writing to schools within the next few days in relation to this matter.”

Mr Givan also said he was relieved that devolved government was in place.

“It’s a Democratic Unionist minister that will be responding to this judgment and ensuring that our Christian ethos in our schools is maintained,” he added.

The minister also said he plans to provide guidance to schools in a number of weeks time, and also announced a review of the curriculum around RE in line with the judgment which he said will take a number of months.