EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES (NORTHERN IRELAND) ORDER 1972

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EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES (NORTHERN IRELAND) ORDER 1972 - SECT 16



16.(1) Subject to the provisions of this Article, religious instruction shall
be given in every controlled and voluntary school other than a nursery or
special school and the school day in every such school shall also include
collective worship whether in one or more than one assembly on the part of the
pupils in attendance at the school.

(2) In a controlled school the religious instruction required by paragraph (1)
shall be undenominational religious instruction, that is to say, instruction
based upon the Holy Scriptures according to some authoritative version or
versions thereof but excluding instruction as to any tenet distinctive of any
particular religious denomination and the collective worship required by
paragraph (1) in any such school shall not, in any controlled school, be
distinctive of any particular religious denomination.

(3) In a voluntary school the religious instruction and collective worship
required by paragraph (1) shall be under the control of the managers of the
school and such religious instruction shall be subject to such arrangements
for inspection and examination as the managers think fit.

(4) Religious instruction and collective worship required by paragraph (1)
shall be so arranged that

(a)the school shall be open to pupils of all religious denominations for
instruction other than religious instruction;

(b)no pupil shall be excluded directly or indirectly from the other advantages
which the school affords.

(5) If the parent of any pupil requests that the pupil should be wholly or
partly excused from attendance at religious instruction or collective worship
or from both, then, until the request is withdrawn, the pupil shall be excused
from such attendance in accordance with the request.

(6) No payment from public funds in respect of a pupil shall be varied by
reason of his attendance or non-attendance at religious instruction or
collective worship.

(7) Ministers of religion and other suitable persons, including teachers of
the school, to whom the parents do not object shall, subject to paragraph (8),
be granted reasonable access at convenient times to pupils in any controlled
or voluntary school other than a nursery or special school for the purpose of
giving religious instruction, whether as to tenets distinctive of a particular
religious denomination or otherwise, or of inspecting and examining the
religious instruction [given in the school and instruction given by virtue of
this paragraph] may be in addition to that provided under paragraph (1).

(8) Paragraph (7) shall not, without the consent of the managers of the
school, apply to a voluntary school in existence immediately before the date
of the coming into operation of this Article which was not at that date
required to give such access as is referred to in that paragraph and where a
pupil has been wholly or partly excused from attendance at religious
instruction in any voluntary school to which such access is not granted, such
pupil may be withdrawn from the school during such periods as are reasonably
necessary for the purpose of enabling him to receive religious instruction of
which his parents approve.

(9) The Ministry shall make such regulations as it considers necessary for
securing that the provisions of this Article relating to religious education
are complied with in all controlled and voluntary schools other than nursery
and special schools, and in particular such regulations may contain provisions
with respect to

(a)the times during which any religious observance may be practised or any
religious instruction may be given;

(b)the times during which pupils may be withdrawn from the school so that they
may receive religious instruction in accordance with the provisions of
paragraph (8);

(c)the making of arrangements for religious instruction in schools;

(d)the amount of time which may be allotted in the time-tables of schools to
religious instruction.

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Northern Irish Legislation

EDUCATION AND LIBRARIES (NORTHERN IRELAND) ORDER 1972 - SECT 16