Gaston defends Christian ethos of Religious Education in Northern Ireland schools

TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston

Speaking in the Assembly on Monday (November 24), TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston emphasised the importance of maintaining the Christian foundation of Religious Education (RE) in Northern Ireland’s schools, following a recent Supreme Court judgment.

Describing the ruling as “the final stage in a calculated assault on the foundations of the controlled sector,” Mr Gaston highlighted the historical roots of the education system.

“It is often forgotten that the controlled sector did not emerge out of thin air. It is the product of what used to be the school system run by Protestant churches. That system was handed over to the state following Lord Londonderry’s 1930 Education Act. Churches were promised that the schools would maintain a broadly Christian ethos,” he said.

Mr Gaston underlined that this ethos reflects the statutory duty recognised by both church and state to “Train up a child in the way he should go,” quoting Scripture directly. He warned that the Christian ethos of controlled schools has recently come under attack.

However, he stressed that the law has not changed.

“Article 21 of the 1986 Order remains. It requires that religious education in controlled schools must be ‘undenominational… based upon the Holy Scriptures’. The judgement did not strike down this legislation. The law still mandates that the foundation of RE in Northern Ireland is Scriptural and Christian.”

Highlighting the cultural and moral significance of Christian teaching, Mr Gaston said:

“Christian teaching has shaped our schools, our laws, and our society. It is no accident that the law requires RE to be firmly rooted in the Holy Scriptures — the Bible is not one optional voice among many, but the bedrock of moral order.”

He criticised calls for a “neutral” or “multi-faith” approach, warning that true religious neutrality is impossible.

“Religious institutions that claim to take no view on the existence of God are in fact teaching that His existence is irrelevant. Our schools should always teach morality — right and wrong — but it is impossible to do so without acknowledging God as the source of that morality. If that happens, then the moral framework is severed from its roots.”

Mr Gaston concluded by placing responsibility on the Education Minister to safeguard the Christian character of RE and collective worship.

“The task now falls squarely on the Education Minister. He should reaffirm the statutory requirement that RE be taught on a Scriptural basis and ensure that collective worship in schools retains its Christian character as required by law,” he said.