Robbie Meredith
BBC News NI Education Correspondent

It is important to be clear that the Supreme Court ruling is not going to mean that the teaching of RE in schools will end, or that there will be no more hymns or prayers in school assemblies.

But it does mean that some things are likely to change.

The judges said that was “a complete absence of plurality in relation to the teachings or practices of any other religions or non-religious traditions and philosophies,” especially in primary schools.

So in future children are likely to be taught about a range of religions in RE, not just Christianity, from the earliest years of primary school.

Schools may also have to think about inviting a wider range of speakers to school assemblies, not just Christian ministers or organisations.

No.

The legal action was taken by a father and his daughter who attended a primary school.

However, the RE core syllabus that was drafted by the four main Christian churches and specified by the Department of Education applies to both primary and post-primary schools.

The syllabus covers RE from the foundation stage of Primary 1 and 2 through to Key Stage 4, which is pupils working towards their GCSEs.

At all stages, the core syllabus is Christian-focussed.

It says children and young people from four to 16 should "develop an awareness, knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the key Christian teachings about God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), about Jesus Christ and about the Bible; and develop an ability to interpret and relate the Bible to life".

Image source, Getty Images

Governors in all grant-aided schools have a legal duty to ensure religious education is included in the curriculum.

This must be in line with the core syllabus for RE specified by the Department of Education.

The core RE syllabus was drawn up by the four main churches and is Christian-focused.

However in post-primary schools, and some primaries, pupils are taught about other religions.

Schools are already free to build upon this in a way that best suits the needs of their pupils and their ethos.

The law already allows pupils to be partly or wholly excused from attendance at religious education if their parents make such a request.

So - will religious education be banned?

Ultimately it will not be, but may need to change.

Jessica Lawrence
BBC News NI

More information is starting to come out now on the court's judgment, external.

In an upsum, the High Court ruling that the current RE syllabus in Northern Ireland, which was drafted by representatives of the four main Christian churches, is not delivered in an "objective, critical and pluralistic" way and must be revised - but not by the churches alone was upheld.

It also finds that the right to withdraw a child from RE or collective worship breaches human rights as it places an "undue burden" on the parents and can be stigmatising for children.

We're starting to see some reaction now to the Supreme Court's ruling.

Humanists UK - a non-religious charity promoting humanist values - says the current curriculum is "indoctrination" and that today's judgement will have "wide-ranging" implications for RE here and in the rest of the UK.

"RE curricula must be objective, critical, and pluralistic," it says.

The Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator calls it a "historic win" for the rights of children.

"This ruling should also prompt the governments in England, Scotland, and Wales to revisit the requirement for mandatory collective worship.

"We hope it is now repealed."

Jessica Lawrence
BBC News NI

Image source, PA Media

The family’s solicitor, Darragh Mackin from Phoenix Law, described the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling as a “watershed moment” for education rights in Northern Ireland.

“The Supreme Court has confirmed that all children are entitled to an education that respects their freedom of thought, conscience, and religion,” he said.

Mr Mackin said the judgement means that schools cannot place children in the “impossible position of being singled out or stigmatised” because they do not share the religious worldview in the school curriculum.

Eimear Flanagan
BBC News NI

The legal action was taken by a young girl who attended a Belfast primary school and her father. The family took the case anonymously.

In her state-controlled school, the girl had received non-denominational Christian religious education and took part in Christian worship.

However, her parents did not wish her to be taught that Christianity was an absolute truth and in 2019 they wrote to the school voicing concerns that it did not conform with their own beliefs.

The family asked if inspection mechanisms were in place to ensure that pupils were receiving a balanced religious education.

The school replied that its religious education was “Bible-based” and followed the core syllabus for education.

The family argued that their rights - which requires the State providing education to “respect the right of parents to ensure such education is in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions" - had been contravened.

The Christian religious education (RE) taught in schools in Northern Ireland is unlawful, the UK Supreme Court has ruled.

The Supreme Court is the UK's highest court.

In a unanimous judgement the Supreme Court allowed an appeal by an unnamed father and daughter from Northern Ireland.

In 2022, the High Court in Belfast ruled that the Christian-based religious education (RE) taught at primary schools in Northern Ireland was unlawful.

However, the Department of Education (DE) subsequently won an appeal against that judgement.

But on Wednesday the Supreme Court unanimously allowed the father and daughter's subsequent appeal and dismissed the Department's cross-appeal.

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