Schools will now need to inform pupils when a request is made by a parent or carer to withdraw them from religious observance and to consider any objection the young person may have, under legislation backed by MSPs.
The Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill was passed in a final Stage 3 vote in the Scottish Parliament.
The Bill was introduced to Parliament to clarify the legal position around the withdrawal of pupils from religious observance in schools. The changes will align legislation with existing guidance on religious observance to strengthen alignment with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in its international form. Once brought into effect, the legislation will strengthen pupil’s rights in relation to religious observance and religious and moral education.