Scotland: The new battle over religion in schools

CHURCHES have called for "non-faith" secular schools to be set up in Scotland in the face of growing demands to change the way pupils participate in religious activities such as prayers and services.

The issue has been brought into the spotlight by a petition which has been lodged at the Scottish Parliament, supported by Secular Scotland – a lobby group campaigning for French-style separation of church and state – calling for a system in which parents would have to choose to "opt-in" if they want their children to participate in religious observance, for example in assemblies. Parents currently have the legal right to opt out and request that they do not want their child to do take part. HeraldScotland