Headteachers should be given power to decide
Parents are being asked to support a petition to give headteachers the power to decide on religious observance in schools.
It comes after a poll by Survation found that 60% of people would support non-religious schools open to children of all faiths and none
The Humanist Society Scotland is mounting the peititon to force the the Scottish Parliament to change the current model of religious observance.
At present, Scottish pupils can attend a state-funded, non-denominational school and be "opted-out" of religious observance.
However the Humanist Society argues this could lead to children being stigmatised among their peers.
Humanist Sociaty chief executive Gordon MacRae said: “Many parents assume that only denominational schools in Scotland are faith schools.
"They are shocked when they learn that their local non-denominational school still host end-of-term prizegivings and whole school gatherings in a church as part of a church service.
"Today's figures reflects the fear of many parents that opting their child out of religious observance will stigmatise their child.”
