The Scottish Households Survey, published this week, shows another rise in the number of people in Scotland who have no religion.
The number is now 47.3%, up from 40% in 2009. That means that nearly one in two people in Scotland are irreligious, but despite this the ‘national’ Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic Church still retain the right to an automatic seat on every local authority education committee in the country.
This out-dated, undemocratic and unaccountable situation must end. In 2013 the Church of Scotland boasted that it ‘held the balance of power’ on 19 of Scotland’s education committees (pp. 31 s. 11.4.3), but for how long will policy-makers allow this to continue?
Commenting on the release of the figures HSS Chief Executive Gordon MacRae said:
“Unelected, undemocratic and unaccountable; it’s time to reform this out-dated legislation.
“It’s time for society to reflect reality in Scotland. Can it be right in 21st century Scotland that unelected and unaccountable clerics hold sway over our laws in the Lords and our children’s schooling in Scottish councils?”
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