A new draft Religious Education (RE) curriculum for schools in Northern Ireland has been published for public consultation, retaining Christianity as the subject's core focus while broadening pupils' exposure to other beliefs from an earlier age.

This means primary school children will still study Christianity in detail, but willnow  begin learning basic ideas about other religions such as Islam and Judaism, as well as non-religious worldviews.

A broader range of religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism, will be taught later in secondary school.

The changes follow a UK Supreme Court ruling which said RE in Northern Ireland had not been taught in an “objective, critical and pluralistic manner”.

The Transferor Representatives’ Council (TRC), which represents the Church of Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland and Presbyterian Church in Ireland, has welcomed the draft curriculum.

Its chair, Bishop Andrew Forster, said: “As Christianity is the faith identity of almost 80% of the population in Northern Ireland, we welcome the fact that it remains a core focus of RE at every key stage.”

He said that the new approach meets the need for a more balanced curriculum, describing it as “objective, critical and pluralistic”, adding that RE remains “a vital component of the primary curriculum in Northern Ireland” that helps children explore “life’s big questions within the Christian ethos of our schools”.

He also said pupils would be able to “learn about other world religions, while also exploring the fact that some in society do not have religious worldviews”, and that this would help prepare them “for respectful participation in a world that is increasingly diverse”.

The TRC encouraged teachers, parents and governors to take part in the consultation before the curriculum is finalised.

The consultation will run until 30 September 2026.