To ask the Minister of Education whether he plans to bring the teaching of Religious Education into the work of the Curriculum Taskforce Advisory Committee.

My department is awaiting the outcome of the ongoing judicial review on the nature of Religious Education and collective worship in state-funded schools to inform a review of the core syllabus for Religious Education. Currently, it will not form part of the Taskforce’s work.

My department will then initiate a review, which will involve a wide range of key stakeholders including the four main churches in Northern Ireland.

This will also provide an opportunity to address the recommendation made in the Independent Review regarding the review of the RE syllabus. The Independent Review made no recommendations relating to collective worship in schools.