There is a “lack of inclusion and transparency” in religious practice in Northern Ireland primary schools, according to a new report, which sheds light on the access religious organisations are permitted to pupils.
Figures show there were more than 11,000 visits to schools from Christian churches and religious organisations last year, with just 13 visits from other religious traditions or philosophical beliefs.
The report from Parents for Inclusive Education Northern Ireland (PfIE NI) also reveals that the majority of schools surveyed (53%) only made parents aware of religious visits if specifically requested.
Based on Freedom of Information (FOI) requests sent to every primary school in the north, the ‘On a Mission’ report details the scale of access by religious visitors to school children.
PfIE NI said its findings show that of the 11,522 estimated annual visits to schools from churches and religious organisations, 99.9% of visitors were from Christian churches or organisations.
It said that 710 visits were from Child Evangelism Fellowship.
Other findings reveal 77% of primary schools had no recorded process to determine which religious visitors are given access to pupils.
The group said its findings highlight a “lack of transparency in communicating” religious visits to parents with rights to withdraw children not widely communicated or exercised.
The group also said it was concerned about daily acts of collective worship and that the core RE syllabus at primary school level focuses on Christianity and features no other religions or world views.
Eve Gilmore from PfIE NI said: “We hope that it will be embraced by the education community and that important work can begin on developing an improved programme of learning which is inclusive of the wide range of worldviews held here in NI, rather than the current syllabus which focuses exclusively on one”.
