A Scripture Union book designed to help with the move to secondary school has been banned at a Scottish school after humanists complained it could ‘distress’ pupils, it was reported in late February.
Robert Douglas Memorial School in Scone, Perthshire, decided to stop handing out the book to primary school leavers after a complaint from one humanist parent. The move was described as ‘petty’ by the Revd David Robertson, the incoming Moderator of the Free Church of Scotland.
Students at the school had formerly been given a copy of the book called It’s Your Move at a leavers’ event, before they moved up to secondary school. It is described as a ‘fun and friendly guide to moving to secondary school’ but the Humanist Society Scotland (HSS) said it could ‘cause distress’ for some children. After being contacted by one parent, the Society wrote a complaint to the headteacher of the school, telling her ‘not to distribute such literature to pupils again’.
‘Can’t handle it’
Speaking to The Courier, the Revd David Robertson described the action taken by the HSS as ‘intimidation’. He said: ‘I think it is very, very petty. The humanists cannot handle a book which mentions prayer. This is petty and vindictive. I think this is a form of bullying and intimidation, telling a headteacher what to do.’ The local council authority, Perth and Kinross Council, said that the matter had been dealt with ‘satisfactorily’.
