A fairer way

Your article on plans to transfer powers over state schools away from councils (13 July) is of great interest to members of Secular Scotland. We hope the proposed regional collaboratives will be composed on a fairer basis than council education committees, by virtue of disallowing reserved seats for representatives of a few favoured religious groups.

Refusing favouritism towards these groups would not unfairly marginalise their members, since they would still have the same opportunities to compete for seats as the non-religious or adherents of minority religions. When Free Church spokesman David Robertson calls for religious figures to be given places, we must wonder why an equal opportunity to earn places is not enough, and whether he fears those who share his conservative Christian views cannot compete with those who do not. When we hear from

a Church of Scotland spokesman that “local democratic oversight in education should not be eroded”, we must ask if his notion of democracy encompasses the hogging of public committee seats by unelected Church of Scotland representatives who cannot be voted out of them.

Secular Scotland believe in equality and democratic accountability. Historic precedent and a sense of entitlement are no sound basis for continuing to hand selected churches statutory power over the education of children with no other connection to those churches. If democratic competition is too daunting a prospect for some Christians, it does not follow that they should collect prizes automatically . ROBERT CANNING

Secular Scotland Broughton Street, Edinburgh