A Northern Ireland primary school teacher, Javed Love, has opted out of teaching Religious Education (RE) and Collective worship on the grounds of conscience, exercising a legal right set out in Article 22 of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986.
This 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. A Freedom of information requests suggests it is the first time in at least a decade the right has been exercised.
Javed is now partnering with Northern Ireland Humanists to guide other teachers in how to do the same.
Of the decision he says ‘‘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.’
You can read more about this case HERE