Parent's Should Decide How to Raise Their Children and the State Should Not Hinder Them in This Task
Resist the Humanist Society of Scotland's Attempt to Undermine the Teaching Authority of Parents
Resist the Humanist Society of Scotland's Attempt to Undermine the Teaching Authority of Parents
CitizenGO started this petition to John Swinney
Currently, when religious observance takes place in schools, all pupils, up to the age of 18, are required to attend. However, with express parental permission, children are permitted to opt-out.
Now, the Humanist Society Scotland (HSS) is seeking a judicial review at the Court of Session in Edinburgh after the Scottish Government rejected calls for a change to the current rules which permit only parents to opt out on their children’s behalf.
The move follows a recent review by the United Nations Children’s Rights Committee which recommended the parental right to opt out of religious observance should be extended to young people.
Of course, in extending a parental right, a right which recognises the teaching authority of parents, to children, the UNCRC are undermining that very right for parents. To give the right to opt out of religious observance to children means taking the right for parents to decide how their children are educated away from the parent themselves and giving it to the state and to the children.
That is what this issue is really about. It is all about the teaching authority of parents and their right to be primary educators of their own children. The state system should be assisting with this task and not undermining.
If parents do not want their children to participate in religious observance, they are permitted to do so. In this way, the rights of all parents whatever their background, are respected.
In allowing children themselves to decide whether or not they will attend religious observance, they are failing to respect parent’s rights to raise their children within their own tradition, and unnecessarily creating strife within a family by potentially pitting children against their own parents.
Please sign this petition to John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education, letting him know that you support the current Scottish system whereby only parents are allowed to remove their children from religious observance.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14736675.Humanists_launch_legal_battl...
https://humanism.org.uk/2016/06/09/un-childrens-rights-committee-calls-f...
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Resist the Humanist Society of Scotland is Attempts to Undermine the Teaching Authority of Parents
For the Attention of Mr John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education
Dear Mr John Swinney,
As I’m sure you are aware, the Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) has recently launched a legal challenge to the Scottish Government’s decision not to allow pupils to opt themselves out of religious observance at school.
The action of the HSS has been prompted in part by the UN Children’s Rights Committee review earlier this year which recommended that “the State party repeal legal provisions for compulsory attendance at collective worship in publicly funded schools and ensure that children can independently exercise the right to withdraw from religious worship at school.”
Recognising parents as the primary educators of their own children, and recognising that the state exists to assist parents in this task, I wish to let you know my support for the current position of the Scottish Government regarding religious observance at school.
Parents are entitled to raise their children within their own tradition, religious or otherwise, and should be able to send their children to a school which reflects that tradition.
As parents are currently allowed to withdraw their children from religious observance at school but children themselves are not permitted to make this choice, the state is currently respecting and recognising the rights of parents as the primary educators of their own children.
No change is needed as parental rights are currently respected and once a child reaches maturity, he or she is able to participate in religious observance to whatever degree he or she pleases.
I urge you therefore to do all that you can to ensure that the parental right to raise one’s child within one’s own tradition is maintained, and that the Scottish Government does not undermine this right by permitting children to dissent from their parental wishes.
Resist the Humanist Society of Scotland is Attempts to Undermine the Teaching Authority of Parents
For the Attention of Mr John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education
Dear Mr John Swinney,
As I’m sure you are aware, the Humanist Society of Scotland (HSS) has recently launched a legal challenge to the Scottish Government’s decision not to allow pupils to opt themselves out of religious observance at school.
The action of the HSS has been prompted in part by the UN Children’s Rights Committee review earlier this year which recommended that “the State party repeal legal provisions for compulsory attendance at collective worship in publicly funded schools and ensure that children can independently exercise the right to withdraw from religious worship at school.”
Recognising parents as the primary educators of their own children, and recognising that the state exists to assist parents in this task, I wish to let you know my support for the current position of the Scottish Government regarding religious observance at school.
Parents are entitled to raise their children within their own tradition, religious or otherwise, and should be able to send their children to a school which reflects that tradition.
As parents are currently allowed to withdraw their children from religious observance at school but children themselves are not permitted to make this choice, the state is currently respecting and recognising the rights of parents as the primary educators of their own children.
No change is needed as parental rights are currently respected and once a child reaches maturity, he or she is able to participate in religious observance to whatever degree he or she pleases.
I urge you therefore to do all that you can to ensure that the parental right to raise one’s child within one’s own tradition is maintained, and that the Scottish Government does not undermine this right by permitting children to dissent from their parental wishes.
