Protestant denominations welcome Court of Appeal verdict on 'Christian' Religious Education in Northern Ireland schools

Protestant denominations have welcomed a Court of Appeal verdict that exclusively Christian-focused religious education in Northern Ireland primary schools does not breach human rights law.
By Philip Bradfield
Published 2nd May 2024, 10:03 BST
Updated 2nd May 2024, 11:28 BST
The verdict was welcomed by Dr Andy Brown, chair of the Transferor Representatives’ Council (TRC), which represents the Presbyterian, Church of Ireland and Methodist Churches on Northern Ireland state schools.The verdict was welcomed by Dr Andy Brown, chair of the Transferor Representatives’ Council (TRC), which represents the Presbyterian, Church of Ireland and Methodist Churches on Northern Ireland state schools.
The verdict was welcomed by Dr Andy Brown, chair of the Transferor Representatives’ Council (TRC), which represents the Presbyterian, Church of Ireland and Methodist Churches on Northern Ireland state schools.

The verdict was given at the Court of Appeal on Tuesday in the latest stage of a legal battle against the Department of Education by the "broadly humanist" parents of a Belfast primary school girl.

In 2022 the High Court found that the NI primary schools RE model was unlawful because the curriculum breaches human rights as it is not taught in a "objective, critical and pluralist manner".

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However this week the Court of Appeal overruled the verdict, saying the child's parents could opt her out of RE classes (although they had chosen not to).

The outcome was welcomed by Dr Andy Brown, chair of the Transferor Representatives’ Council (TRC), which represents the Presbyterian, Church of Ireland and Methodist Churches on Northern Ireland state schools.

The churches argue that they retain a lawful stake and some control of state schools in Northern Ireland because they transferred 500 schools into state care from 1930-50 on explicit condition that they would maintain a Christian ethos.

He said the TRC had intervened in the appeal to give "important historical and contextual information" and said they had been lobbying the Department of Education for some time to update the RE curriculum for NI primary schools.

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Dr Brown continued, “The TRC intervened in support of the Department of Education’s appeal to give important historical and contextual information which we felt had been overlooked in the original case. This included apprising the court that the churches had recognised areas in the RE Curriculum which need to be addressed and how TRC had, for some time, pressed the Department, successive Ministers of Education, elected representatives, and officials to remedy this.

"We are therefore pleased that the court recognised and referred to the work that is ongoing to refresh the Northern Ireland curriculum which will, of course, include consideration of ‘the complexion and changing needs of our modern society’, as recommended in yesterday's ruling.

“The teaching of RE is a vital component of the primary curriculum in Northern Ireland, an area in which children are able to explore and consider life’s big questions, in preparation for life outside the classroom.”