Initial Findings - Barnardo's Scotland Children and Young People Engagement - Children (Withdrawal from Religious Education and Amendment of UNCRC Compatibility Duty) (Scotland) Bill

Theme 1 – ‘It should be your choice’

The majority of the young people asked within the sample secondary, said they wanted the choice to be able to opt back into both RME and RO if their parents wanted to withdraw them.

‘if they don’t want to [be withdrawn] then it should be the child’s view’

Child is ‘their own person, should get their own views’

‘the parent can’t put their own religion on the child, it is the child who is doing it’

‘Annoyed [and] frustrated if you were removed without your consent’

‘Child should have the main opinion, parents shouldn’t have the main opinion’

As demonstrated in the graphs below, a high number of young people believe that their parents and carers shouldn’t have the right to withdraw them from RO or RME. However, it is more prominent in the graph for RME, where most young people believe that parents and carers should not continue to have the right to withdraw their child without the consent of their young person.

Alt text: Bar chart of pupil responses. Yes – over 5, Unsure – over 10, No – 15.

Alt text: Bar chart of pupil responses. Yes – under 5, Unsure – under 5, No – over 20.