All posts tagged: collective

NI collective worship and RE unlawful, Supreme Court finds

NI collective worship and RE unlawful, Supreme Court finds

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society has welcomed a landmark ruling today which found collective worship and religious education in Northern Ireland breach human rights. The UK’s Supreme Court has unanimously allowed the appeal of a father and daughter from Belfast who argued Christian-based religious education (RE) and collective worship in Northern Ireland’s schools are incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Article 2 Protocol 1 of the ECHR provides that the state “must respect the right of parents’ religious and philosophical convictions in respect of education and teaching”. In 2022, NI’s High Court found in favour of the parent, saying that NI’s Department of Education and the NI Assembly should ensure the arrangements for RE and collective worship are compliant with the ECHR. The NI Court of Appeal subsequently overturned this judgement after the Department of Education appealed, finding that while the curriculum is “not conveyed in an objective, critical, and pluralistic manner”, no violation of rights was established because parents have the “unqualified right” to withdraw their children from RE and collective worship. …

the perils of negotiating collective policy recommendations across a diverse third sector – Evidence & Policy Blog

the perils of negotiating collective policy recommendations across a diverse third sector – Evidence & Policy Blog

Published by skeptic

Jane Cullingworth This blog post is based on the Evidence & Policy article, ‘Strengthening the role of third sector intermediary bodies in democratic governance: developing strategies with state and non-state actors’. We can all agree that evidence needs to shape policy but how do we gather evidence, particularly from the frontlines? With the rise of participatory governance and an interest in the perspectives of communities, the third sector is uniquely placed to play a key role in facilitating and generating this evidence. But given the diversity of third sector stakeholders and multitude of perspectives, how is such evidence understood, interpreted and represented? Animating knowledge requires intermediaries (known as knowledge brokers) to translate lived experience into action, addressing the know-do gap – that is, a gap between knowledge and policy. Across the third sector there are many intermediary bodies – organisations that support the sector and represent its interests. While these organisations are not typically thought of as knowledge brokers in the policy arena, they play an important role in ensuring that the voices of citizens …

Repeal collective worship laws, NSS tells Holyrood committee

Repeal collective worship laws, NSS tells Holyrood committee

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society has called for the repeal of collective worship laws at a Scottish parliamentary committee oral evidence session. The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 legally mandates collective worship – also known as religious observance (RO) – in Scottish schools. Parents can withdraw their child but there is no independent right of withdrawal for students, even when they are over 16. Holyrood’s Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice (EHRCJ) committee invited the NSS to give evidence on a Scottish Government bill which would allow pupils a veto if their parent sought to withdraw them from RO – but would not give children the corresponding right to withdraw from RO against parental wishes. NSS human rights lead Alejandro Sanchez (pictured) told the committee that in an “increasingly irreligious and religiously diverse Scotland” it was not for schools to be “endorsing particular religious beliefs”. To ensure Scottish schools are “open and welcoming to all”, RO should be replaced with “inclusive, non-confessional” assemblies. Until such a time, children must be granted a “parallel right of withdrawal” from …

End collective worship laws, NSS tells Holyrood committee

End collective worship laws, NSS tells Holyrood committee

Published by Sam Flores

A Scottish Government bill should be amended to end collective worship in schools, the National Secular Society has told a Holyrood committee. The bill would make it more difficult for parents to withdraw their children from religious education (RE) and collective worship, also known as religious observance (RO). The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 provides the statutory basis for RO/RE and allows parents to withdraw their children. However, there is no independent right to withdrawal for children, even when they are over 16. Responding to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s call for evidence, the NSS said the bill should be amended to repeal mandatory RO. The NSS also recommended an independent right of withdrawal for pupils from RE (also known as religious and moral education in non-denominational schools) should be introduced until the subject is taught in an objective, pluralist manner. The bill was introduced following the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) into Scots Law last summer. Article 14 of the convention enshrines a child’s independent …

Abolish collective worship in Jersey, NSS urges minister

Abolish collective worship in Jersey, NSS urges minister

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society has urged the Government of Jersey to abolish the island’s laws mandating acts of Christian worship in schools. Under the island’s Education Law 1999, all school-age children should attend an act of “broadly Christian” worship at least once a week. Similar UK laws also mandate acts of worship in schools. Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Rob Ward, announced the decision to review Jersey’s collective worship earlier this month. Writing to Ward, the NSS said mandated acts of worship are “entirely at odds with the demographic realities of Jersey”. In 2024, Jersey’s Children and Young People’s Survey revealed just 27.3% of the island’s young people are Christian. The NSS said enforced Christian prayer disregards the right of nonreligious and non-Christian children and their families to freedom of religion or belief, adding that abolition was “even more pressing” due to the size of this group. The NSS said the right of parents to withdraw their child from collective worship was insufficient to protect the right to freedom of religion or belief, as …