Churches must keep faith role in Northern Ireland schools says Rev Dr Houston McKelvey

Former Church of Ireland Dean of Belfast the Rev Dr Houston McKelvey OBE, who was once Church of Ireland education spokesman, was responding to a radical report from academics at the Ulster University calling for the diminution of religion and Christian faith teaching in both the state-controlled and Catholic-maintained schools.

Putting Northern Ireland’s emphasis on faith teaching in an historical context, Dr McKelvey said: “The modern foundation of education in the UK was a 1944 wartime education reform act.

“It was shaped by government minister RA Butler and Rev William Temple, a former headmaster and archbishop of Canterbury.

“Christian values were felt to be intrinsic to the nature of British society, and this fortified it in the hour of difficulty and therefore must find expression in the reconstruction of its educational system.

“Unionist dictum since the creation of Northern Ireland was that of parity with Great Britain.

“But the leaders here had the good sense to let GB proceed and then reflect on the advantages or mistakes which ensued.

“Northern Ireland, therefore, had the benefit of using England and Wales as a pilot scheme.

“Thus, the 1944 act in GB influenced but not slavishly the NI 1947 Education Reform Act.

“The 1947 act gave for the first time to many in this society the possibility of a university education.

“The education sector referred to currently as controlled schools could not have been created without the generosity, support and consent of the three main Protestant churches (Presbyterian, Church of Ireland and Methodist) in the transference of their schools into a partnership with the state.

“A major part of this were securities regarding the role of religious education within the school.

“To ensure this transferring churches were to have not less than half of the members of a school board of governors.

“Later, the churches voluntarily gave up this majority to provide and ensure a position for a teachers’ representative on a board.

“Transferring churches, however, never did get the representation to which they were due on local education authorities.

“And it is only since the recent establishment of the Transferrors’ Representative Council that the churches have had a state-supported focus unlike their Roman Catholic neighbours who much earlier were granted the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools.

“Most important, when proposals are made from whatever quarter their bona fides must take recognition of this endeavour. Northern Ireland churches should at the least be granted the same role and support as they do in England and Wales.

“Parity of esteem is required.

“It is not a provincial issue. It is one of national UK standards, one of constitutional safeguarding and effective support of the churches’ legitimate role.”