Church Officials Propose Separate Catholic Sex Education in Scotland

Church officials in Scotland have been discussing and drawing up draft plans for Catholic children in non-denominational schools to have access to separate sex education classes.

The new move is likely to increase tension between the church and with the Executive in how sex education should be delivered by schools across the country, reports the Scotman.com.

The Scottish Catholic Education Service (SCES) has been preparing the new proposals. Under the new sexual health strategy that it is planning, the Church has stated that it would like parents of Catholic students to have a much wider access to the education available through Roman Catholic Schools. One way that is suggested is for literature that is used in the church schools to be made more readily available to these pupils.

The Director of SCES, Michael McGrath stated that Catholic children in the Western Isles were already receiving separate sexual education classes, and that this similar form could be duplicated and followed all over the nation. He hoped that this could happen soon after the new sexual health strategy is published.

McGrath said, "It is recognised that there are a very significant number of Catholic children being taught in non-denominational schools across Scotland. We want it made clear to parents that our particular materials are available, and if they ask for them we would expect that to be taken into consideration when councils decide how classes are organised."

However, in response to the new proposals that are being created, a senior Executive member said, "It may be that there is very little difference in what is taught in these sex education classes but, in a practical sense, I don't think local authorities will be happy if they have to make separate arrangements in schools for different pupils."