New study shows strong support for RE overhaul in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Humanists has welcomed a major new study from Queen’s University Belfast that finds strong public support for changing Religious Education (RE) in Northern Ireland’s primary schools to cover a wide range of religions and humanism, instead of focusing solely on Christianity.

The report, Religion and Worldviews Education for All: possibilities for change to religious education in Northern Ireland, is based on a representative survey of 1,051 adults, a dialogue group of parents and community representatives, and a focus group of primary teachers and school leaders. It found that 42% of the public is dissatisfied that churches control the RE syllabus, a figure that rises to 88% among people with no religion. More than 60% agree that learning about diverse beliefs in primary school can reduce prejudice and reinforce freedom of religion or belief. There was also a strong support for teaching both religious and non-religious worldviews, like humanism.

Parents and teachers told researchers that RE is experienced as confessional Christian teaching, with some saying it comes close to indoctrination. Respondents described discomfort with some school assemblies and visiting speakers, and said the legal right to withdraw children from RE or worship is an unsatisfactory ‘workaround’ that can leave children feeling excluded. Instead, they favoured an inclusive ‘religion and worldviews’ approach, separate from worship, in which children of all backgrounds could learn together on an equal footing.

In November 2025, the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling that Northern Ireland’s exclusively Christian-based RE curriculum and collective worship are ‘indoctrination’. The court also found that the current right to withdraw children from RE and worship is not enough to remedy this breach, because it risks stigmatising pupils and places an undue burden on parents.

Northern Ireland Humanists is urging the Department of Education to respond to both the court ruling and the new Queen’s research by beginning an open, transparent review of RE, and by moving towards a modern, inclusive religion and worldviews curriculum that treats humanism on an equal basis with religions and respects the rights of every child.

Commenting on the study, Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator said:

‘This research confirms what many families in Northern Ireland have felt for years: the public wants inclusive, balanced education about religions and humanism, not a system designed to deepen Christian faith. It’s clear people understand that good RE should reduce prejudice and respect everyone’s freedom of belief.

‘Coming on the heels of the Supreme Court’s judgment that our current RE and collective worship arrangements breach basic human rights standards, the message couldn’t be clearer. We now need a new, inclusive religion and worldviews curriculum, designed by educational experts and informed by voices from across our diverse society – including humanists – rather than being controlled by church interests alone.’