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Religious observance in schools 27/12/11
Responding to the Western Isles
Council's consultation document on religious observation in schools, the Kirk Session
of the Reformed Presbyerian Church of Scotland in Stornoway have stated that the
Christian faith should be given primary emphasis in the religious curriculum despite
the obvious departure from the Christian faith in the country at large.
However one aspect of the consultation document which they found perturbing was that 'Chaplains can only work in schools at the invitation of the Head Teacher.'
The KIrk Session states: ' Such an arrangement delegates too much power to one individual. This power, surely, should remain in the hands of the Council as an Education Authority and be part of its policy rather than be dependent on the whim of any individual Head Teacher.
“This would also avoid the possibility of a constant chopping and changing of a school's policy and also avoid a disparity between schools which, in turn, could result in dissatisfaction amongst parents.'
They say another point of concern is the statement that 'Proselytising is not acceptable in the whole school Religious Observance.'
They ask: 'What does this involve? For instance, does this mean that the Christian faith cannot be demonstrated to be superior to other faiths? We think that this statement requires further amplification.'
The submission adds: 'We trust that the above observations will prove helpful and
that they will be given due consideration as you revise your policy on Religious
Observance in our schools.'