MP in row on Catholic schooling
SNP conference recording shows his backing for secular system
AN SNP MP has been recorded outlining plans for the piecemeal eradication of Catholic schools in Scotland.
The remarks by Tommy Sheppard, MP for Edinburgh East, have been condemned by the Catholic Church in Scotland as “chillingly intolerant” and have been downplayed by the Scottish Government.
Mr Sheppard, who is a humanist, spoke of the plans at a Humanist Society Scotland Fringe event at last year’s SNP conference and a recording of the event has now emerged in which Mr Sheppard said he wanted a “secular school system” in Scotland.
The event was promoting the society’s Enlighten Up campaign, which seeks to end mandatory religious representation on local authority education committees, the Scottish Catholic Observer reported.
Mr Sheppard, SNP Cabinet Office spokesman in the House of Commons, said the way to achieve a fully secular school system in Scotland was to conduct the process “bit by bit”.
Ian Dunn, editor of the Scottish Catholic Observer , said: “Catholic families in Edinburgh and beyond will be very worried by this story. Catholic schools remain exceptionally popular with the families who use them.
“At the last election abolishing faith schools was only endorsed by the parties at the political extremes – the Greens and Ukip.
“This is a clear attempt to bring these ideas into the mainstream, which I suspect will be vigorously resisted by moderate, thoughtful Scots.”
A senior Church source said: “Though the Scottish Government’s continuing support for Catholic schools is appreciated, ther i’s growing concern in the Church that Nicola Sturgeon is not making the same efforts to reassure the Catholic community the SNP has their best interests at heart did.”
A spokesman for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland said: “This is a blatant attack on religious freedom and is chillingly intolerant.”
Mr Sheppard said the comments – made one year ago – had been taken out of context.
“At no stage did I ever criticise Catholic schools,” he said. “I have several in my constituency that are excellent. I was talking at a meeting about the composition of education authorities and whether it’s right that unelected people should sit in those boards and make education policy in Scotland.
“That is a wholly different matter that her predecessor I believe than the control of public policy on education and should be done on a secular rather than a religious basis. That’s the best way to ensure we have an inclusive education system that supports the freedom of expression of all religious beliefs.
“I don’t see how it can be argued that one church has got the right to an education policy for the whole of the community when other churches don’t.”
The SNP distanced itself from Mr Sheppard’s comments at the Humanist meeting saying: “These views do not represent the position of the SNP or the Scottish Government and are simply the personal views of Mr Sheppard.”