Scottish Catholic Observer

The Scottish Green Party has admitted that it remains intent on ending state-funded Catholic education in Scotland.

Despite the policy being left out of the party’s 2016 manifesto ahead of the May 5 elections, a Green spokesman told the SCO that ‘the Scottish Greens’ policy remains to move toward an nondenominational education system in Scotland, the focus of this is not to close down schools but for greater integration.’

Michael McGrath, director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, said this was a policy intended to ‘close schools, and end Catholic schools in Scotland.’

“They don’t want Catholic schools and it’s important the electorate know that voting Green means you’re voting to end Catholic schools,” Mr McGrath said. “I would be interested to know what the thinking behind that policy is. It doesn’t seem to be about tolerating other people’s wishes, or allowing parental choices, but instead imposing a one size fits all system contrary to all developments in education all over the world.”

Many of the Scottish Green candidates, including co-convenors Patrick Harvie (above left) and Maggie Chapman, have publicly spoken about their desire to end Catholic schooling in Scotland.

“The Greens support an integrated secular education system,” Mr Harvie told the SCO last year. “Children have the right to a neutral education.”

Ms Chapman said on Twitter that denominational schools could ‘reinforce’ sectarianism. However, the Scottish Government’s advisory group on tackling sectarianism has repeatedly stressed that Catholic schools are not responsible for the problem. In a report last year, the group said that ‘our position stated in [a] 2013 report has not changed from the belief that sectarianism would not be eradicated by closing schools.’

Another Green candidate, David Officer, who is on the Scottish Green Party’s list in the North East, went as far as to say that ‘secular schools’ were so important to him he would want them to be made part of the constitution of an independent Scotland.

The Scottish Green Party’s 2007 manifesto said it would ‘move towards the integration of state funded religious schools into nondenominational education’ but leaders left this policy to end Catholic education in Scotland out of their manifesto for the 2016 elections.

Mr McGrath suggested the hostile response the party received in 2007 to its education policy may have motivated members to leave it out of their manifesto this time.

Recent polls suggest the Scottish Green Party could win up to a dozen seats in the Scottish Parliament.

A spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party said it was ‘committed to retaining Catholic schools in Scotland.’

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson have both spoken about their commitment to

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—This story ran in full in the April 29 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.