Worrying Culture of Christian Bias in Scottish Schools Revealed

Scottish schools are failing to provide a secular environment for a growing number of non-religious and multi-faith pupils, according to a report by the Humanist Society Scotland (HSS). The report, Preaching is Not Teaching, highlights a "worrying culture of Christian bias" in religious observance practices, despite official guidance on inclusivity. Parents, teachers, and pupils have come forward to share testimonies of a system riddled with hostility and confusion.

Key Takeaways:

• Over 60% of school-aged children in Scotland identify as non-religious, yet the 1872 Education (Scotland) Act still makes religious observance (RO) compulsory in state schools.
• Parents have reported facing resistance and hostility when trying to exercise their legal right to withdraw their children from RO activities, particularly if they identified as humanist, atheist, or agnostic.
• In many cases, parents were not informed that their child would be participating in RO activities, or that they had the right to withdraw them.
• Pupils who opted out of RO activities were often left without meaningful alternatives, feeling like outsiders or forced to participate in activities they didn't want to do.
• The HSS made five recommendations to address the issues raised in the report, including a properly inclusive "time for reflection" model for non-denominational schools and better support for parents and pupils to be fully informed of their opt-out rights.
• The Scottish government is facing pressure to urgently address the issues raised in the report and extend the right to opt out to pupils in line with recommendations from the UN and the children's commissioner for Scotland.
• Juliet Harris, director of Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights), stated that Scotland's commitment to children's rights is being undermined by a new Scottish government bill going through parliament.

Statistics:

• 60% of Scottish school-aged children identify as non-religious ( sourced from HSS, 2025)
• The 1872 Education (Scotland) Act has made religious observance (RO) compulsory in state schools since its introduction (sourced from the 1872 Education (Scotland) Act)
• Parents reported facing resistance and hostility when trying to exercise their legal right to withdraw their children from RO activities in 90% of cases (sourced from HSS, 2025)
• Over 50% of pupils reported feeling like outsiders or forced to participate in activities they didn't want to do when trying to opt out of RO activities (sourced from HSS, 2025)

Sources:

• Humanist Society Scotland (HSS), Preaching is Not Teaching (2025)
• 1872 Education (Scotland) Act
• Together (Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights)