Critical Deadline: Stage 1 Debate is November 25th!
The Stage 1 debate on the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill is scheduled for Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
This means we have a matter of days, to ensure the professional voice of Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers is heard by every MSP before they vote on the Bill’s general principles. If we don’t act now, we risk cementing an outdated practice that undermines RME as a core curricular subject.
The Core Problem: Conflating RME and RO
As outlined in our official submission to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee, the Bill, while improving UNCRC Article 12 compliance (the child’s right to be heard), fails to address the core legislative problem: the conflation of RME with Religious Observance (RO).
The Bill currently retains the right of withdrawal from RME in non-denominational schools, treating it the same as withdrawal from RO.
RME is NOT Religious Observance (RO)
| Feature | Religious and Moral Education (RME) | Religious Observance (RO) |
| Nature | Non-confessional, core, academically rigorous subject. | Community acts to promote spiritual development/shared values. |
| Purpose | Essential for cultural intelligence, critical thinking, and developing personal values. | Often involves collective worship or time for reflection. |
| Curriculum | A mandatory subject area in the Curriculum for Excellence. | An optional, separate, non-curricular activity. |
Allowing withdrawal from a core academic subject like RME is an outdated practice that denies pupils access to a vital part of the full Scottish curriculum.
Our Key Recommendation: Immediate Support for Stage 2 Amendment
We are urging MSPs to use this immediate window to publicly support the need for a Stage 2 amendment. This amendment must decouple RME from RO, protecting RME as a mandatory curricular area by removing the right to withdraw from it in non-denominational schools.
What You Need to Know:
The Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee’s Stage 1 Report, which recommends Parliament agree to the general principles of the Bill, also highlights significant concerns raised in evidence—specifically the need to separate religious education and religious observance. We need MSPs to build on this concern.
Read STARME’s full submission to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee here: [https://starme.co.uk/2025/10/07/uncrcresponse/]
Your CRITICAL Call to Action: Contact All 8 MSPs TODAY
We need every STARME member to act immediately. This small action, taken before the debate on Monday, is our final chance to influence the general consensus of Parliament.
ACTION PLAN (2 Steps):
1. Find Your MSPs NOW
- Go to the Scottish Parliament website: https://www.parliament.scot/msps
- Use the “Find your MSPs by postcode” search function.
- Every person in Scotland is represented by eight MSPs (one Constituency and seven Regional). Please aim to contact all eight before Monday morning.
2. Send the Email IMMEDIATELY
- We urge you to use the template provided below (or personalise it!) and email all eight of your MSPs.
- Crucially, you MUST include your full name and home postcode/address in the signature. MSPs are required to confirm you are a constituent before acting on your request.
Email Template for Your MSPs
Subject: URGENT Action Needed: Support Amendments to Protect RME in the Children (RME Withdrawal) Bill
Dear [MSP’s Name],
I am writing to you as your constituent and a professional teacher of Religious and Moral Education (RME) in Scotland to seek your support for a crucial amendment to the Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill.
I urge you to use the upcoming Stage 1 debate as an opportunity to propose or support amendments that reflect the professional recommendations of the Scottish Teachers Association of Religious and Moral Education (STARME), as are reflected in the recommendations from the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee Stage 1 Report and supported by almost every body that gave evidence to the committee.
The key recommendation is to remove the right of withdrawal from RME in all non-denominational schools.
As RME is a non-confessional, academically rigorous subject, the continuation of a withdrawal right is outdated and actively prevents children from accessing a vital part of the modern Scottish curriculum, including learning about different world religions, philosophical perspectives, and ethical issues. There is an historical conflation of RO and RME, something which we recommend ends and separates the educational from the confessional.
Continuing this right contradicts the spirit of the UNCRC and limits a child’s right to access the broad, full education they are entitled to.
I strongly encourage you to seek amendments that will ensure all pupils in non-denominational schools have access to the full RME curriculum.
Thank you for considering this critical issue.
Sincerely,
[Your Name] [Your Role/Title, e.g., Teacher of RME, STARME Member] [Your Address/Postcode – to verify you are a constituent]
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