Equalities Watchdog Calls for Review of Catholic Schools Hiring Rules
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has told the Scottish government that the Scottish Catholic schools’ legal right to examine teaching staff for religious suitability should be reviewed.
The EHRC wants the law on “Catholic approval”, that any teacher appointed to a Catholic school must be approved in terms of “religious belief and character” under the Scottish Education Act 1980, re-examined in light of the European Union's equality directive. Currently, prospective Catholic school teachers must provide references from their parish priest. However, the European Union's equality directive requires that such a rule must be proportional to the responsibilities of the job. The EHRC said,“Although there is little evidence about impact [of the Catholic approval law], in the interest of clarity and consistency of equality law, we recommend the Scottish Government review the impact of … the Education (Scotland) Act to ensure its compatibility with the EU directive. “It is important we ensure teachers are able to pursue their careers without unjustifiable limitations being placed upon them.” Source: Scottish Legal News