Northern Ireland Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) and abortion: Stakeholders ask why Chris Heaton-Harris is forbidding NI schools from teaching religion and abortion together when it is facilitated in England?

New regulations will require schools to teach “scientifically accurate” lessons on sexual and reproductive health and rights - including contraception and access to abortion - to all children aged 11 to 16 in grant aided schools

In a statement, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) said this should be done "in a factual way that does not advocate, nor oppose, a particular view on the moral and ethical considerations of abortion or contraception".

However stakeholders are asking why NI will be required to teach sex education strictly devoid of any ethical discussion when the law facilitates takes the opposite approach for children in his home constituency in Daventry.

This week Bishop Donal McKeown told Good Morning Ulster that "education guidance in England and Wales says that schools should have the right to adapt teaching methods in line with the ethos of schools".

And Dr Olwyn Mark, a Lecturer in Practical Theology at Union Theological College in Belfast, highlighted the same point.

“The Secretary of State is calling for teaching in ‘a factual way’ that does not advocate or oppose, a particular view on the moral and ethical considerations of abortion or contraception," she told the News Letter.

"This is not in line with the statutory guidance in England, where the religious background of all pupils must be taken into account. In England, all schools may teach about faith perspectives. In particular, schools with a religious character may teach the distinctive faith perspective on relationships, and balanced debate may take place about issues that are seen as contentious.”

The English Department of Education's statutory guidance for RSE says: "In all schools, when teaching these subjects, the religious background of all pupils must be taken into account...".

Schools must comply with the Equality Act 2010, under which religion or belief are protected characteristics, it adds.

Roger Kiska, a human rights lawyer with Christian Concern, suggested Mr Heaton Harris’s approach could cause serious conflict with the Human Rights Act.

“The Secretary of State’s suggestion that abortion be taught without moral or ethical considerations involved is ignorant to the fact that the issue of abortion is fundamentally a moral and ethical question, a position that has been recognised by the European Court of Human Rights in Vo v France," he told the News Letter.

"Not allowing schools to express their position about the sanctity of life would raise serious legal issues under the Human Rights Act, as would requiring a teacher to teach about abortion should they have a conscientious objection to doing so.”

The NIO declined to address the apparent discrepancy between England and plans for NI.

Instead a spokeswoman insisted that the NI regulations will "mirror" the approach in England.

Parents will be able to withdraw their children from lessons, she said.

"Educating adolescents on these issues will be done in a factual way that does not advocate a particular view on the moral and ethical considerations of abortion or contraception," she added.