Scotland’s new Bill on religious education undermines parental authority

For an alternative view see here.

This February, the Scottish Parliament passed a Bill that gives children the right to opt back in to religious education if their parents have withdrawn them (the Bill still requires Royal Assent to become law). One prominent Scottish law firm, gives a helpful explanation of the legalese …

when a child’s parent or guardian opts to withdraw their child from religious education or observance at school, the education operator (most often the school) must inform the child and give them a chance to express their views (where the child is capable of expressing views). Where the child objects to a withdrawal request, the school should seek to discuss the objection with the parent and the child. Ultimately, the school would have to follow the child’s wishes and refuse to give effect to the withdrawal request to the extent that the child objects to it.

Any instance in which a government body can legally intervene in wellbeing decisions of parents for their children is a slippery slope

Does this say “red flag” to anyone? Any instance in which a government body can legally intervene in wellbeing decisions of parents for their children is a slippery slope. As Christians, we love the idea children who are interested in God can be supported by schools. But the Bible stresses the importance of parents’ ability to guide their children. Proverbs 1:8 reads, “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching;” and the only commandment with a promise, in Exodus 20:12 is, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you”. So the minute a door opens for a child, alongside adults other than their parents or parental figures, to conspire the direction and standard for their welfare against that of their parents, Christians should feel at least a little dis-ease.

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As an example, about a year ago, my husband was paying his thrice weekly dues as a football parent on the pitches of western Scotland when he noticed one of the other fathers looking visibly shaken up. When my husband asked what was bothering him, he unloaded. He explained that over dinner, their primary aged son was excited to recount what he’d learned at school that day. Boys could marry boys, girls could marry girls, and if you didn’t really feel like a boy, you could actually be a girl and change. The father and the boy’s mother told him that wasn’t actually the truth. But the boy persisted vehemently, assured what he’d learned had to be true, because his teacher told him.

The dad exclaimed: “what on earth are they teaching him that stuff for? He’s in primary, for goodness sakes”. These parents weren’t Christians, they may not have even been very conservative, but they had experienced a serious breach between their beliefs and the beliefs of their son’s teacher. The disconnect allowed discord, anxiety and frustration to enter the family bond, and barring a child who requires intervention in case of abuse, Christian parents shouldn’t support it.

teachers and schools should never be allowed to override the God appointed familial bond between children and parents

Children have inherent biases when it comes to school settings. From the youngest of ages, teachers are presented to them as trusted, honoured authority figures. Of course, overall, this is a good thing, but teachers and schools should never be allowed to override the God appointed familial bond between children and parents. I know plenty of parents who have strong disagreement with Relationship, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) education in Scotland.

My good friend and neighbour, also mother to four children, once shared her exasperation after posting information regarding the RSHP content being taught to Scottish children. This includes early-stage learners being exposed to books about gay marriage and children in later Primary years being taught about transgenderism, how to have sex and how gay people have sex (I’m not kidding, it is all there on the rhsp.scot website). As a Christian, she found specific parts disturbing, but not one other mother on the parenting chat for our town showed any interest.

This Scottish legislation may be a bit of a trojan horse that allows parent’s wishes for their children to be over-ridden in areas wider than religious education

My neighbour chose to opt her children out of the teaching, the only parent in the school to do so. Like my neighbour and I, you might be uncomfortable with your child being exposed to this in depth teaching on relationships and sex full stop, even more so when you’re not there to guide your children or assist them in learning at their own level in line with what they have or have not already been exposed to.

What if in the future, the tables were turned, and the school were able to meet with my neighbour’s child and decide she should be able to opt back into the teaching because the child desired to? Should the young person’s consent be acceptable, even if it goes against that of her parents? This Scottish legislation may be a bit of a trojan horse that allows parent’s wishes for their children to be over-ridden in areas wider than religious education.

Read more:

How a simple step of faith sparked a prayer community at school

5 ways Christian parents can build healthy relationships with their child’s school

The Lord Jesus warned us as believers, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt 10:16). Not everything that sounds good actually is good, given closer consideration. This is why it’s so important our children’s decisions be guided by those who know and love them best, which in the vast majority of cases, will be their parents. Recent discussions I’ve had with my own children have well demonstrated that even preteen and teen children aren’t the wisest reasoners.

My 12 year old and I had an interesting discussion on why he would make a great and fair communist leader, my teenage daughter argued there would be no disagreements or wars if only women were world leaders, and that women in Iran being beaten or worse for not properly wearing their hijabs is no big deal because that’s “just what they believe”.

Parents should have the legal right and overall respect, of making the best decisions for their children, concerning religion and otherwise

My children are more than capable of having ideas and forming opinions, just not altogether very good ones always. These ideas are utterly cringeworthy to me as their parent, but I realize they are at a young, impressionable age, not known for brilliant decision making. For the same reason, their father and I want to retain the final say in deciphering their best future and wellbeing, until they have wisdom enough to choose for themselves. As Christians, rather than fear for children whose parents opt them out of religious education, we can pray for them. I assume most believers don’t accept Jesus as their Saviour because of classroom education. I wasn’t exposed to Jesus until well into my adult years, but God still made a way. Parents should have the legal right and overall respect, of making the best decisions for their children, concerning religion and otherwise.

For an alternative view see here.