Religious Education in NI Primary Schools — Both Traditions
A teacher's guide to RE in Northern Ireland — the difference between controlled (mainly Church of Ireland/Presbyterian) and Catholic-maintained school RE programmes, and how to teach RE that respects both main traditions.
Preview
Page count: 2. Print-ready PDF — letter / A4 friendly. Click image to see all pages.
RE in Northern Ireland's two main school types
- 1 Controlled schools (state schools) Historically attended mainly by Protestant pupils (Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist). RE is based on the Core Syllabus — a broadly Christian programme that all NI schools must follow, agreed by the four main churches.
- 2 Catholic-maintained schools Under Catholic Church management. RE uses the Alive-O programme (primary) or similar Catholic programmes. Sacramental preparation (First Communion, Confirmation) is part of the school's role.
- 3 The Core Syllabus A shared RE syllabus agreed by the four main churches (Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian, Methodist). All NI schools must teach from it. Provides common ground across traditions.
- 4 Alive-O The Catholic primary RE programme used in Catholic-maintained schools. Eight books from Junior Infants to 2nd Year secondary. Sacrament preparation integrated into P3 (First Confession) and P4 (First Communion).
- 5 World religions The NI Curriculum requires pupils to learn about other world religions (not just Christianity). Both controlled and maintained schools teach about Islam, Judaism, and other faiths.
- 6 Sensitive teaching Northern Ireland's divided society means RE requires care — particularly around topics where the two main Christian traditions have historically disagreed.
Learning objective
Distinguish between RE in controlled and Catholic-maintained schools; describe the Core Syllabus; and understand how to teach RE sensitively in Northern Ireland's community context.
About this resource
RE resources NI
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RE programmes
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A Alive-O programme — Catholic maintained schools NI
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C Core Syllabus RE — Northern Ireland (free at ccea.org.uk)
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I I Belong RE resource — Church of Ireland primary
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