To ask the Minister of Education to detail whether the Education Authority maintain a record of the number of pupils who have been withdrawn from (i) Religious Education; and (ii) collective worship.

The Education Authority does not maintain a record of the number of pupils who have been withdrawn from (i) Religious Education; and (ii) collective worship.

Under legislation (The Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order, 1986), there is provision for parents to request that a pupil should be wholly or partly excused from attendance at religious education or collective worship or both.

Records in relation to such requests are held by individual schools and there is no requirement to return information related to such requests to the Education Authority.