Council / Education secretary: no plans to change religious rep requirement
SCOTLAND’s education secretary has confirmed – following debate on the matter among elected members in Shetland – there are no plans change legislation requiring religious representatives on certain council committees.
Shirley-Anne Somerville said there continues to be a role for religious groups in decision making due to the number of denominational schools in Scotland and the obligation to provide religious education.
The requirement, stemming from legislation from 1973, is for Scottish councils to have religious representatives on education committees.
Locally this has been regarded by many councillors as outdated and the topic was raised again in August when the SIC’s education and families committee appointed a new religious representative.
Depute leader Gary Robinson said it should be known that the committee was making the appointment not by choice, and encouraged talks with the Scottish Government on the matter.
Coverage of the discussion prompted the chief executive of the Secular Society, Stephen Evans, to write to the Scottish Government over its own grievance with the legislation.
The organisation campaigns for the “separation of religion and state”.
But Somerville said in response to Evans’ letter: “This requirement, as you note, has been a longstanding feature of the Scottish education system.
“The presence of significant numbers of denominational schools in the education system in Scotland and the requirement to provide religious education means there continues to be a role for religious groups in decision making for denominational and non-denominational schools alike.
“Therefore, there are no plans to amend the 1973 legislation referred to above.”
Evans said in response it was a “deeply unsatisfactory” response.
He added: “Automatically appointing religious representatives to education committees runs totally contrary to the fundamental principles of our democratic system, as well as enabling undue religious influence over the education of Scottish children.
“Instead of ignoring the issue, the Scottish Government should listen to these concerns and review this outdated piece of legislation.
“Denominational schools and religious education should not be used as justification to continue this anachronistic requirement – instead, Scotland should work towards ensuring its whole education system is inclusive, secular and free from religious control.”
The Scottish Government previously said that giving voting rights to religious representatives was not a legal obligation.
It came after Perth and Kinross Council agree to remove these rights from religious representatives following the closure of a primary school, which was decided by a vote.
A former local religious representative said in August that he believed the role was misunderstood or being “deliberately misrepresented”.
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