Bishops criticise move for compulsory schools abortion access teaching in Northern Ireland

The Northern Bishops of the Catholic Church have heavily criticised moves to make it compulsory on all second level schools in Northern Ireland to teach children about access to abortion and prevention of early pregnancy.

Led by the Archbishop, Eamon Martin, the Bishops have urged the Secretary of State Chris Heaton Harris to withdraw the legislation.

The Bishops, who are meeting at Maynooth, said it is not for a Government to impose one ideological approach over others.

"Having already imposed some of the most radical abortion laws in the world on the people of Northern Ireland, without their consent, the Secretary of State now seems determined to impose an ideologically biased view of abortion on all schools, irrespective of parental rights or school ethos.

"This is radical legislation the British Government doesn’t even impose on schools in Britain, where the right of parents to be involved in decisions about such ethical and pastoral issues is fully respected,'' they said in a statement.

"There is no such thing as a neutral view on abortion. There is no such thing as a value-free or ethically neutral approach to the question of when life begins and when we have a duty to protect and care for all human life.

"These are matters subject to sincerely held differences of opinion across the world. It is not for a Government to impose one ideological approach on children, parents or on our schools, over others. 

"This is why the right of parents to an education for their children that is an accordance with their ethical, religious and philosophical convictions, is an internationally recognised human right. It prevents Governments from the kind of over-reach in relation to the rights and freedom of parents that this legislation represents."

They have called on the Secretary of State to "respect" the internationally recognised rights of parents, and the principles of consultation and devolution in the Good Friday Agreement, and to withdraw the legislation, leaving it to a devolved Assembly to decide, in consultation with parents and educational stakeholders "Like the recent so-called investigation of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission into RSE in schools, the Secretary of State is also indulging in a tired and frankly, offensive caricature of what our outstanding teachers are actually doing in our schools in this area.'' 

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