The UK Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that how Christian religious education is provided in Northern Ireland's schools breaches human rights standards and is unlawful.
The case, described as landmark, was brought by the parents of a child who attended a state-funded primary school in Belfast.
Northern Ireland's education system differs from that of the rest of the UK as it is still shaped by its sectarian past.
Most pupils attend either Protestant-linked state schools ("controlled" schools) or Catholic-run "maintained" schools.
But Wednesday's ruling found that the way Christian religious education is taught in schools in Northern Ireland was unlawful, as it was "not conveyed in an objective, critical, and pluralistic manner".
Judge Lord Stephens said Wednesday's judgement "was not about secularism in the education system" and made clear that "no one is suggesting that religious education should not be provided in schools in Northern Ireland".
"The family strongly support the provision of religious education provided it does not amount to indoctrination," he added.
The Belfast High Court had found in favour of the family in 2022, a decision which was then overturned on appeal.
But on Wednesday, Stephens said: "The Court of Appeal was wrong in its application of established principles of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) law."
He ruled that the rights of the child and her parents were breached, according to ECHR provisions as incorporated into UK law by the 1998 Human Rights Act.
'Bible-based'
As part of the curriculum, the child, who was granted anonymity during the case, took part in Christian religious education and collective worship at the school between 2017 and 2021, said the case document.
Her parents wrote a letter to the school voicing concerns that her education did not appear to conform with their own religious and philosophical convictions.
In a reply, the school confirmed its provision of religious education and collective worship was "Bible-based" and that it followed the core UK syllabus.
Her parents did not wish her to be taught that Christianity was an absolute truth, said the case document.
They are not Christians and do not profess any other religious beliefs, but are "broadly speaking" humanist in their outlook, it said.
In a statement, the family's lawyer Darragh Mackin said Wednesday's decision was a "watershed moment" for educational rights.
"The Supreme Court has confirmed that all children are entitled to an education that respects their freedom of thought, conscience, and religion," he said.
"Schools must not place children in the impossible position of being singled out or stigmatised simply because their families do not share the religious worldview embedded in the curriculum," he added.
Northern Ireland's main pro-UK party, the Democratic Unionist Party, said in a social media post that it "will continue to support the Christian ethos that underpins our education system and has served Northern Ireland well for generations".
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
