10th September 2025
Connect has made a submission to the Scottish Parliament's Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee call for views on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Incompatibility Duty (Scotland) Bill.
Currently under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 a parent can withdraw their child from religious education and religious observance in school. This Bill would make it so the school would have to inform the child if their parent does this, and if the child objects and does not want to withdraw, the school would have to follow the child’s wishes.
Our concern is that this will have a disproportionate impact on families of diverse faiths or none who wish to withdraw their child, and that it is not appropriate to remove parents’ legal rights to withdraw their child from religious education or observance in a blanket manner, particularly for young children, potentially setting parent against child, with school staff acting as adjudicators. School staff may not be trained in this role which could be highly sensitive and damaging to important home-school relationships and trust. In terms of determining a child’s capacity to make this decision themselves, school staff may not be trained in this which is a very specialist area; particular care, sensitivity and support is needed.
Find out more about the consultation for the Bill and Connect's involvement here.