Atheists and the devout will join together in protest over school Bible lessons before a court battle over the religious programmes kicks off in Auckland.

Jeff McClintock, the father of a student from Red Beach School in Auckland, is taking on his daughter's school and the attorney-general in a landmark case at the High Court at Auckland on Thursday.

After numerous complaints to the school about his daughter Violet being placed back in school Bible classes without his permission, McClintock decided to bring his case against Red Beach School Board of Trustees for breaching its duties under the Education Act 1989 and against the attorney-general for passing legislation that was inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights.

McClintock is a member of the Secular Education Network (SEN), which had supported him and other parents and members of the community who were opposed to the current guidelines surrounding Bible classes in schools.

SEN spokesman David Hines said public interest in the network had spiked following media coverage of McClintock's case and news of a religious sex education pamphlet being used in a Christchurch school's health lesson.

Hines said a group who opposed the current state of school Bible lessons regulations in New Zealand would be staging a demonstration outside the High Court at Auckland on Thursday morning before McClintock's case.

The group of protesters would include atheists who wanted no religion to be taught in state schools, as well as religious people who believed all religions – rather than only Christianity – should be taught as part of the school curriculum.

SEN members would be joined by people from Auckland churches and the New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists, Hines said.

About nine religious leaders had joined SEN campaigns in the past eight months, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist leaders, he said.

The court hearing will decide whether the Churches Education Commission (CEC) can give evidence about the Bible classes in the case.

CEC runs Bible classes in about 700 state primary schools nationwide, not including Red Beach School.

Meanwhile, SEN had been in mediation with the Ministry of Education through the Human Rights Commission.

Hines said the outcome of the mediation sessions was expected early next month.

The ideal outcome for SEN would be to have the system changed to "opt in" from "opt out", so parents had to give permission for children to take part in the lessons.

SEN also wanted the classes to be held before or after school, or during lunchtimes rather than during the school day.