Scottish Catholic Observer

A Scottish humanist society have been accused of encouraging Catholic school pupils to truant rather than attend Mass.

In a move that the Scottish Church said could ‘undermine teachers’ authority,’ Gordon MacRae, head of the Humanist Society Scotland, wrote to education minister John Swinney last week over a number of disciplinary measures taken by teachers at Taylor High School in New Stevenston. Staff had disciplined pupils who left the school rather than attend the annual Feast Day Mass on September 30.

“Our entire school held its annual Patron’s Day Mass on Friday September 30, with Bishop Joseph Toal as its principal celebrant,” Nicola Daley, acting headteacher at Taylor High, said. “The theme for the celebration was St Teresa of Calcutta—formerly Mother Teresa—and highlighted her work with the poor. It was also a memorial service for two members of our staff who died in May 2016 after giving years of service to the school.

“Their invaluable contribution to the school community was highlighted during the service. Regrettably, a small number of pupils, who had attended school in the morning, opted to truant in the afternoon and miss the service. The pupils have been subject to school discipline as a consequence of their actions.”

Following media reports into the truanting, the humanist society has been accused of attempting to exploit the issue as part of their ongoing campaign against religious religious observance in schools.

Disingenuous reports

Barbara Couper, director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, said all pupils and their parents had been informed that attendance was expected at the Mass and the school had received no feedback to suggest any pupils wished an exemption.

“As with any other event where pupils leave school property without permission, local authority protocols had to be followed,” she said. “Standard punishments where issued in line with how parents would expect the school to deal with truancy.”

Ms Cooper said subsequent media coverage ‘had been disingenuous.’

Humanist Society Scotland chief executive Mr MacRae has since written to John Swinney, the Cabinet Minister for Education and Skills, asking him for a meeting to discuss the issue.

“Reports that up to 50 young people in Motherwell have been punished for not attending a religious service just serves to highlight the urgent need for reform of the outdated requirement for religious observance in Scottish state schools,” he said. “Suspending a young person from school, and thus denying them access to education, for choosing not to take part in religious worship is outrageous.”

Secularists online have since openly encouraged children to truant from school. Secularist journalist and campaigner James McEnaney said he would ‘encourage all young people to refuse to attend religious services if they don’t want to be there.’

Gary McLelland,  Humanist Society Scotland media officer, said their stance was that a ‘worthwhile alternative should be provided for young people who do not attend religious observance’ but ‘we do not believe that young people should be punished for not attending religious observance.’

Church response

Peter Kearney, director of the Scottish Catholic Media Office, suggested the secularists actions were ‘undermining teachers’ authority’ and could damage children’s education.

“The issue here is unauthorised absence,” he said. “The Humanist Society should realise an opt out is not the same as a walk out. As I understand it, none of the pupils asked or got their parents to ask if they could opt out. Instead they just walked away. No school can function if pupils simply walk away when it suits them and no one should encourage them to do that.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said they were against truancy, adding: “We understand that this case is being treated as truancy and dealt with in line with normal school policies with respect to truancy.”

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—This story ran in full in the October 14 edition print of the SCO, available in parishes.