SCOTTISH humanists have called on the government to scrap the requirement for local councils to keep three spaces for religious representatives on education committees.
Launching its Enlighten Up campaign, the Humanist Society of Scotland has published details of all 88 religious representatives currently sitting on local authority education committees in Scotland.
The society has, effectively, audited those religious representatives, and found some of their beliefs “worrying”.
The Free Church of Scotland claimed the humanists were being petty and ignoring a deal made between church and state.
As part of the 1973 Local Government (Scotland) Act, every council in Scotland’s education committee must include a representative from the Catholic Church, another from the Church of Scotland, and a third who reflects the religious beliefs of the area.
Each of those representatives has equal voting rights with the local councillors on the committee.
The humanist audit says Pastor David Fraser, who sits on Clackmannanshire Council’s committee, last year claimed Satan was to blame for the death of five-year-old Scott Chiriseri.
The Alva Primary School pupil died after being stabbed multiple times by his mother Farai, who was deemed insane at the time and was ordered to be detained in a secure hospital.
At Scott's funeral service in Alva Parish Church, Pastor Fraser told mourners: “Satan tricked Farai, she was trusting in a lie. If that gets your hackles up, remember that Jesus died for all sin.”
Rev Michael Rollo who sits on the committee at Falkirk believes in faith healing, while Dr Nagy Iskander, of South Lanarkshire, has been called one of "Europe’s most active creationists".
Gordon MacRae, the society’s chief executive, said: “The presence of unelected religious representatives is anti-democratic and out of step with modern Scotland.
"Parents should not be left guessing who has a right to make decisions over their children’s education.
"Every full voting member of local education committees should be accountable through the ballot box.“
MacRae said the religious groups should, at most, have the same rights as teachers, parents, trade unions and community groups.
The Humanist Society's campaign is supported by professor of biology Dame Anne Glover, a former chief scientific advisor to the Scottish Government.
She said: “A vibrant and engaged modern Scotland needs an education policy that reflects the reality of modern Scottish society. That is why I support the Enlighten Up campaign for education reform in Scotland.”
Rev David Robertson, the moderator of the Free Kirk of Scotland, said the move was part of a campaign by the humanists to exclude all forms of religion from school “except to be taught as some kind of mythology or fairy story.”
Robertson said: “I find it interesting that the Humanist Society, which is funding itself by charging people fortunes for weddings and funerals and other things, is using that money to then seek to remove the religious representatives education committees. I think it’s very intolerant actually.”
The National View: Dated laws mandating religious members on education committees must be reformed
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here