Christianity should not be cancelled in schools

Carla Lockhart MP • November 9, 2022

Speaking in Westminster during a debate on Religious Education in schools, Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has called for efforts from certain lobby groups to cancel Christianity from Religious Education in schools to be resisted.

During the debate, the DUP MP said:

 

“In Northern Ireland we recently had an outrageous court judgment that declared that exclusively Christian RE lessons in primary schools are unlawful.

 

In my mind, this ruling reveals the real agenda of so many: the removal of Christianity from school settings. In this broken land and society, we are seeing the breakdown of the family unit and soaring rates of suicide, born out of hopelessness. Surely the teaching of love, hope and charity within Christianity is what society needs more of, not less of?”

 

The Upper Bann representative added:

 

“Activists have stated their aims as wanting Religious Education to be taught in a way that is “objective, critical, and pluralistic, and inspected in line with other curriculum subjects”.

 

When one considers this stated aim it is worth noting that currently parents are able to withdraw their children from this teaching, and that there is already scope for teaching on other religions and worldviews in the existing curriculum.

 

By ignoring these facts activists reveal their real agenda. The removal of Christianity from school settings. It is deeply regrettable that our courts seem to also ignore these realities.

 

We must stand firm against this aggressive agenda. The teaching of Christianity in schools must be protected, and I would urge the Government to stand firm in rejecting this anti-Christian crusade.”

Share

By Carla Lockhart MP March 13, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has criticised the DAERA Minister’s plans to introduce an Independent Environmental Protection Agency in Northern Ireland.
By Carla Lockhart MP March 13, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has urged the Labour Government to support agriculture rather than powering ahead with inheritance tax reforms and other bureaucratic burdens that could threaten the future of family farms.
By Carla Lockhart MP March 11, 2026
Upper Bann MP, Carla Lockhart and her colleagues in the Democratic Unionist Party have voted against legislation which they say risks undermining the long-standing right to trial by jury.
By Carla Lockhart MP March 11, 2026
Churches and faith-based organisations across Northern Ireland are invited to attend the relaunch of an updated Church Funding Directory, hosted by Carla Lockhart MP, at the Oxford Island Discovery Centre on Thursday 19 March at 11:00am.
By Carla Lockhart MP March 11, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has warned that Government plans to reopen proposals for Digital ID cards risk opening the door to increased state surveillance and represent a policy that the public clearly does not support.
By Carla Lockhart MP March 10, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has pressed the Chancellor to take urgent action to ease the pressure on households facing rising energy costs, particularly in Northern Ireland where a large proportion of homes rely on heating oil.
By Carla Lockhart MP March 9, 2026
DUP Agriculture spokesperson, Carla Lockhart MP, has warned that farmers across Northern Ireland are facing intense financial pressure as the cost of fuel and artificial fertiliser continues to soar as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
By Carla Lockhart MP March 9, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has said that escalating global instability highlights the urgent need for the United Kingdom to prioritise national food security and protect domestic agriculture.
By Carla Lockhart MP March 9, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has called on the Government to take urgent action to protect motorists and households from rising oil prices by cutting fuel duty and removing VAT from domestic heating oil. 
By Carla Lockhart MP March 6, 2026
Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has said serious allegations surrounding the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute at Hillsborough must be addressed openly and transparently in order to restore confidence within the farming community.