Success! RE in Northern Ireland to be reformed following Supreme Court ruling

The teaching of Religious Education (RE) in Northern Ireland is set for a significant overhaul, the Minister of Education has told the Northern Ireland Assembly today (3 February). Speaking to the Assembly, the Minister told MLAs that RE would be reviewed in light of the JR87 ruling. Withdrawal arrangements from collective worship will also be reviewed. Northern Ireland Humanists, which have long campaigned for reform of RE and collective worship, have welcomed the Minister’s announcement that RE reform will be led by professionals, not religious bodies, but cautioned that minor reform to collective worship doesn’t go as far as the ruling requires.  

Exclusively Christian RE and collective worship ‘indoctrination’

In November 2025, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of a non-religious father and his child that the exclusively Christian teaching of RE and collective worship in Northern Ireland are ‘indoctrination’. The Court also ruled that the right of withdrawal is clearly stigmatising in a context where no other children are withdrawn. Northern Ireland Humanists argued that this ruling would have wide-ranging implications for the teaching of RE in Northern Ireland, and should result in the end of the ‘Christian-by-default’ approach not just in RE but across the whole school curriculum in Northern Ireland.

Reviewing the RE syllabus

In his statement the Minister said that the ‘time was right’ for a review of the syllabus, and that the review’s ambition would be a ‘useful and enriching knowledge of Christianity and more widely the world’s main religious and philosophical traditions, studied with academic rigour’. The four largest Christian churches will no longer have full control of how the RE syllabus is written. However, the Minister was clear, as he had been previously, that Christianity would ‘remain central to the revised syllabus’, and the churches will retain a ‘formal consultative role’ in the writing of the syllabus. The review will be carried out by Professor Noel Purdy OBE, Director of Research and Scholarship at Stranmillis University College, with a wider consultation to follow.

No changes to collective worship – but meaningful alternatives expected

Christian collective worship will not be repealed or reformed, with the Minister telling MLAs that ‘it is neither desirable nor easily achievable to bring about fundamental changes’ to it. However he did confirm that guidance will be issued to schools and that withdrawal should be ‘straightforward, stigma-free and supported.’ The new guidance will involve parents filling in a form asking for withdrawal of their child. They will not be expected to provide reasons for their request, and ‘meaningful, supervised alternative activities, such as independent study, reading or play’ should be provided.

RE and withdrawal arrangements will also be subject to inspection, with the Minister announcing that he will bring forward legislation to the Assembly to set out new inspection arrangements. 

Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator commented:

‘We welcome the Minister’s announcement that the writing of the RE syllabus in Northern Ireland will no longer be controlled by the four largest Christian churches, but will now be subject to a full review led by education professionals. This is the right step forward to making sure young people are given a broad, balanced, and pluralistic RE, and we look forward to engaging with the review process.

‘While the announced changes to collective worship are also welcome, changes to the withdrawal process only go so far in resolving the wider issue. The Supreme Court was clear that withdrawal was insufficient, and in our view a full review of the requirement is still needed’.