First NI teacher in at least a decade opted out of RE and Collective Worship

A Northern Ireland primary school teacher, Javed Love, has spoken out after using a little-known legal right to withdraw from delivering Religious Education (RE) and Collective Worship in a controlled school, solely on grounds of conscience. A Freedom of Information request he obtained suggests this is the first time in at least a decade the right has been used by a teacher in a controlled school, highlighting how poorly communicated it is. He was prompted to opt out in light of the recent Supreme Court judgment that ruled that Northern Ireland’s exclusively Christian RE and Collective Worship amounted to ‘indoctrination’, and warned that opt-out systems place an undue burden on parents – concerns Mr Love says apply equally to staff. Javed is now partnering with Northern Ireland Humanists to guide other teachers in how to do the same.

As the FOI response to Mr Love confirmed, no requests for withdrawal from a teacher in a controlled school had been provided to the Education Authority by Boards of Governors over the past 10 years. Northern Ireland Humanists said this showed that the option is ‘virtually unknown’ among teachers, and warned that rights can be meaningless in practice if people don’t know they exist. It is calling for greater awareness of this right to help drive overdue change to RE and Collective Worship arrangements in state-funded schools. 

The right is set out in Article 22 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. It allows teachers in controlled schools, excluding controlled integrated schools, to be excused from delivering RE and from conducting or attending Collective Worship where this conflicts with their conscience. Controlled schools are then required to inform the Education Authority. While parents’ rights to withdraw children are widely known, the equivalent protection for teachers is far less familiar. The school can, if there are capacity constraints, recruit a teacher to provide RE and collective worship. There is also no explicit right for teachers in integrated or maintained schools to withdraw from providing RE or collective worship.

Commenting on his decision, Mr Love said: 

‘Because of their exclusively Christian content, I felt that both delivering RE and conducting or attending Collective Worship would signal to pupils that, as their teacher, I endorsed Christianity (and only Christianity), and that did not sit comfortably with me.

‘As a parent, I’m very aware of how inadequate withdrawal can be in practice, and as a teacher I know how much pressure that system places on families.

‘The Supreme Court recognised that even the act of opting out can expose sensitive aspects of parents’ private lives. It’s difficult to see how a system that’s inadequate for parents could be adequate for teachers.’

Withdrawing is not straightforward: teachers must apply to the Board of Governors and submit a statutory declaration stating the request is made ‘solely on grounds of conscience’, witnessed by a solicitor or notary at the teacher’s expense. Mr Love says the process can be intimidating, particularly given church involvement in governance structures in controlled schools.

His request was approved. He now provides alternative activities for pupils withdrawn from assemblies – something he describes as the highlight of his week – and has published a template statutory declaration for other teachers.

Commenting, Boyd Sleator, Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator, said:

‘Javed’s experience shows how rights can exist on paper but be practically invisible. If teachers don’t know these protections exist, and schools don’t foster a culture of openness, those rights are effectively meaningless.

‘Teachers should not be forced into delivering religious material or leading worship in ways that conflict with their conscience or undermine pupils’ rights. The Supreme Court judgment, alongside Javed’s experience, makes the case for an urgent review of RE and Collective Worship requirements so that Northern Ireland can move towards an inclusive, child-centred education system that respects everyone, regardless of religion or belief.’

Mr Love says he hopes one day to reverse his decision — but only when meaningful change occurs.

‘I look forward to un-withdrawing myself when we have an objective, critical and pluralistic RE curriculum, developed by educators from a range of religious and non-religious perspectives. Until then, and solely on grounds of conscience, I will not participate in the current system.’