Charity gives releases atheist handbooks for parents and kids in Scotland

Parents and students in Scotland received atheist handbooks that will guide them in opting students out of required religious sessions and filing complaints for religious discrimination. The information is said to assist readers with understanding their basic human rights regarding religion, particularly in the educational setting.

A Gospel Herald report said that the handbooks were provided by the Humanist Society Scotland (HSS) as a counterbalance to the Scottish law public school requirement of hosting six religious assemblies a year. More religious activities may be added by school officials.

The handbooks, "A Guide for Non-Religious Parents" and "A Guide for Non-Religious Young People," provide information for parents concerned about the school system's religious influence on their children. The handbook also includes material on how to challenge teachers, how to decline religious activities, and how to complain when they feel discriminated. Letter templates for opting out were also given by HSS.

HSS head of communications Gary McLelland said, "Many people across Scotland feel uncomfortable about the religious content in the school system but are unsure about what their legal rights are."

The guides, according to HSS, will empower two-thirds of non-religious young people in the country, citing that they have regularly received complaints from parents and students regarding religion in school. HSS claimed that their research shows that not all parents are aware of their right to decline religious activities. It is the school's responsibility to make parents and caregivers aware of their legal rights. This is the reason why HSS produced the handbooks.

In a Christian Post report, McLelland admitted that their final objective is to have inclusive activities replace the required religious observance. "But until then, we will campaign to make sure that all parents and young people are aware of their rights," he said.

Scotland has a regionalized education system. The content of the religious meetings vary because of this. With inner-city schools, the content is less religious.