In the name of objectivity and pluralism, religious education must introduce the beliefs of Islam and other religions as well, the Court says.
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that the Christian-focused model of religious education (RE) in Northern Ireland’s schools is unlawful, concluding that the current system fails to meet the requirement that teaching be “objective, critical and pluralistic.” The judgment follows a legal challenge brought by an unnamed father and his daughter, who attended a state-controlled primary school in Belfast. The girl had received Christian religious education and participated in Christian worship, but her non-religious parents objected to her being taught about Christian faith, despite having an option to withdraw their child at any time from RE.
