Supreme Court RE judgement: UUP rejects stigmatising non-believing children but queries whether curriculum is indoctrination

The Supreme Court ruled today that Christian religious education in Northern Ireland schools does not comply with human rights standards and is unlawful.

In a landmark judgment, 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”.

Ulster Unionist Education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA called on the Education Minister to provide urgent interim clarity for schools and parents.

He said: “The Supreme Court’s ruling on religious education and Christian worship in Northern Ireland schools is significant and will understandably cause uncertainty and concern across our education sector. Christian worship and Religious Education have been part of school life here in Northern Ireland for a long time but have co-existed with the accepted right of parents to withdraw their children from both.

“The Ulster Unionist Party will look at the judgment in detail, but in the meantime, it is vital that the Department of Education urgently seeks clarity on the scope and full implications of this ruling. Schools need clear and swift guidance on how to manage this in a common sense way that protects their ability to teach Religious Education lawfully while respecting parental rights.

“No child should ever be stigmatised because their parents opt out of Religious Education, however, many people will not agree with the suggestion that current provision amounts to indoctrination. This is a long and complex judgment which requires careful consideration, and we expect the Education Minister to provide urgent interim clarity for schools and parents.

“The Department must now examine how the curriculum can comply with the law while continuing a system that has worked well for generations. Religious Education remains one of the most popular GCSE and A-level subjects, and the right to opt out of collective worship was previously adjudicated correctly. This ruling risks overlooking the rights and heritage valued by the majority of parents who want to see the current system continue.”