According to Scottish publication The Herald, the Catholic Church said such pupils would face wider exclusion from “charitable fundraising, Nativity plays and feast day celebrations” in response to them being removed from religious assemblies.
Secular and humanist groups in Scotland have said this is isolating non-religious children unfairly.
Gordon MacRae, Chief Executive of Humanist Society Scotland told Premier: “The proposal of the Catholic Church relates to the rights of senior pupils to opt out of Religious Observance (what is known as compulsory worship in England).
“Every state school in Scotland is a faith school – either nondenominational or denominational. Parents and pupils do not have the choice of a non-religious school. Parents already have the right to opt their child out of such activities in School.”
He explained how he thinks this threat has come about because of Nicola Sturgeon’s recent desire to adopt the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Among basic rights for children, Humanist Society Scotland say adopting this means that not allowing children to opt out of religious observance is not in keeping with the convention.
About this convention, MacRae said: “The Scottish Government’s proposal to incorporate UN treaty on the rights of the child infers that they will follow England and Wales and allow senior pupils their own choice…
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