The new battle over religion in schools

[SecularMotion]

The issue has been brought into the spotlight by a petition which has been lodged at the Scottish Parliament, supported by Secular Scotland – a lobby group campaigning for French-style separation of church and state – calling for a system in which parents would have to choose to "opt-in" if they want their children to participate in religious observance, for example in assemblies. Parents currently have the legal right to opt out and request that they do not want their child to do take part.

Secular Scotland, however, has emphasised that it wants teaching in the classroom on religious issues to continue on courses such as religious education. However, a separate petition to Edinburgh City Council by secularists is calling for an end to all religious observance in the city's schools.

In response to the moves, the Catholic Church and Free Church of Scotland have now said that secularists should set up their own "non-faith" schools instead.

Michael McGrath, director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, said religious observance was part of the "fabric of the community life" in Catholic schools and they would contest any effort to remove the statutory requirement for it. Some commentators believe that, after gay marriage, the issue of religious observation in schools may be the next battleground when it comes to "culture wars" in Scotland.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/the-new-battle-over-religion-in-schools.21292976

[rug]

1. The churches are calling for secular schools?

Reverend David Robertson, minister of St Peter's Free Church in Dundee, called for a "root-and-branch" reform of the whole system.

"Let the secularists have their schools, teaching their values," he said. "And let the churches return to a system where we run state-funded Christian schools. This would give parents a real choice, and offer real diversity and equality in Scotland."

It's a much different system in the UK.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. That's the Free Church calling for a further split in the types of schools, I'd say

The current position in Scotland is:
2,722 state-funded schools, of which 373 are Catholic, 1 Jewish, and 3 Episcopalian. Notice that the Church of Scotland, the largest Protestant denomination, doesn't have dedicated schools, and neither does the Free Church (though, with under 5,000 communicants, according to Wikipedia, that's not entirely surprising. They're not known as the 'Wee Frees' for nothing. Though its own website says 12,500 people attend its services each week). But in terms of significant membership, I think you'd divide Scotland into Church of Scotland, Roman Catholic, other Christian, other religions, and none (link goes to 2001 census figures; 2011 ones haven't appeared yet; as the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey, mentioned in the article, from the same years points out, the 'no religion' group is probably now at about 50%). And the Church of Scotland says it's happy with the current system, and the RCs want to hold on to their state-funded schools.

At the moment, non-denominational schools still have to provide 'religious observance', though if a child is withdrawn, then a 'worthwhile alternative activity' should be provided, which sitting in an office clearly isn't.

[rug]

3. That's good info, thanks.