In Northern Ireland it is somewhat ironic that the prevalent tone of religious intolerance that pervades society has actually helped foster inter-faith relations between the members of many faith communities in the province. 

One example of this is the education system, which has been almost totally divided along denominational lines.  There are some religiously integrated schools - and indeed many Bahá’í families have played a key role in the development of such schools - but integrated schools still cater for a tiny fraction of the total school population.

The remaining schools are mostly either Catholic grant-maintained schools or Protestant controlled schools.  In both cases there remains significant input from the churches.  Indeed the 1948 Education Act in Northern Ireland allowed the churches to direct the teaching of religious education in schools and this provision still remains in current legislation, such that the churches can determine the content of the religious education curriculum. 

The Department of Education has limited influence on how religious education is taught, as schools inspectors can only inspect the teaching of religious education if they are explicitly invited to do so by the chairman of a school’s board of governors - a position frequently held by a clergyman.

It was in this context that, in 1989, the then direct rule Minister for Education in Northern Ireland, Brian Mawhinney, established a working group, which included representatives from the four main churches in the province - Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist.

It was tasked with developing a common core curriculum for religious education in all schools.  The creation of the working group was hailed as a major success in the press, some saying that it was the first time that the churches had worked together on such a large project.

The product of the working group was the “Core Curriculum in Religious Education”.  It was published by the Department of Education in 1992 and remains the official guidance for religious education in all schools. 

However, the core curriculum conspiciously lacked any teaching about religions other than Christianity. When it was launched, the then Minister of Education, Jeremy Hanley, commented on the absence of significant material on “other world religions” and encouraged schools to include teaching about other religions. 

Writing in the British Journal of Religious Education, in 1997, Dr Philip Barnes of the University of Ulster at Coleraine commented on the Core Curriculum:

“The exclusion of religions other than Christianity obviously raises questions about the nature and purpose of education in general and religious education in particular.  With the exception of those who composed the Core Syllabus, almost all professional educators in the United Kingdom recognise the importance of a study of different religions within the school curriculum.

“One of the aims of the Core Syllabus is to advance tolerance and understanding of other people’s philosophies of life and commitments.  How can this be realised if pupils lack any knowledge or appreciation of the religious viewpoints of others?” 

What is remarkable is that the denominational division in Northern Ireland has fuelled a vibrant inter-faith movement in the province. Representatives of the various faith communities came together in the early 1990s to share concerns about the proposals that were being developed by the churches’ working group. 

These concerned individuals then established the Northern Ireland Inter-Faith Forum.  The Forum has since played a key role in raising awareness about the various faith communities present in Northern Ireland.

A decade on, much has changed. Following the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland strong equality legislation has been introduced that outlaws discrimination on the grounds of (any) religion.  The Inter-Faith Forum has developed to become a key agency delivering a range of educational and training initiatives. 

The events following the 11^th September have forced the world to realise that there are many valid faith traditions and that our children suffer if they do not grow up with a basic understanding of religious diversity and an acceptance of others’ beliefs.  And there is widespread acceptance that it is inadequate to talk about religious views without having a perspective from a Bahá’í, a Moslem, a Hindu, or one of the many other faith communities.

The Core Curriculum for Religious Education is due to be reviewed and a new working group is to be convened.  Recently a delegation from the Inter-Faith Forum met with the current Minister for Education, Martin McGuinness, and were encouraged by the Minister’s commitment to promote religious equality in its widest sense.  In the 21^st century there is evidence of religious diversity everywhere one turns. 

EG