Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as The Education (Core Syllabus for Religious Education) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007 and shall come into operation as set out in Schedule 1.

Revocation

2.  The Curriculum (Core Syllabus for Religious Education) Order (Northern Ireland) 1996(2) is revoked.

Specification of a Core Syllabus for Religious Education

3.  The contents of the document entitled “Core Syllabus for Religious Education”, published by The Stationery Office(3), are specified as the core syllabus for the teaching of religious education in grant-aided schools.

Article 1

SCHEDULE 1 Commencement

The provisions of this Order shall come into operation for pupils in each year of each key stage on 1st August of the school year shown in the following table:

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order, made under Articles 11(1) and (4) and 43(5) of The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 (the 2006 Order) specifies the core syllabus for religious education at each key stage, which all grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland are required to deliver (Article 3). It revokes and replaces The Curriculum (Core Syllabus for Religious Education) Order (Northern Ireland) 1996.

Article 11(4) of the 2006 Order allows for an order under Article 11(1), instead of containing the provisions to be made, to refer and give effect to provisions in a document published as specified in the order.

This Order therefore gives effect to the document called “Core Syllabus for Religious Education”, published by The Stationery Office. The document sets out the statutory Learning Objectives for pupils at each key stage.

This Order comes into operation on a phased basis from August 2007, as set out in Schedule 1, in line with the introduction of the revised curriculum.

Copies of the “Core Syllabus for Religious Education” may be purchased from The Stationery Office, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast BT1 4GD or can be accessed via the Department of Education’s website: www.deni.gov.uk.