Background information to the item: Link to Circular 10/94 published by the
former Welsh Office in 1994:
http://www.wasacre.org.uk/publications/wag/E-circular10-94.pdf
Minutes:
(a) A request had been
received from the Humanists to serve as voting members on the Gwynedd
SACRE.
(b) The Senior
Solicitor explained that local authorities had a statutory responsibility to
create SACREs and the Constitution was the responsibility of the Cabinets of those
Authorities; however, the SACRE could co-opt members. Reference was made to a letter dated 3 May
2018 from Kirsty Williams, noting that Welsh Government's current view
was:
"to ensure compatibility with the Human Rights
Act 1998 the provisions relating to the constitutions of SACREs and ASCs in the
1996 Act are to be interpreted as permitting the appointment of persons who
represent holders of non-religious beliefs in the same way as they permit the
appointment of persons who represent holders of religious beliefs..."
She went on to note, "an appointment
is dependent on the relevant local authority's opinion as to whether such a
representative would help ensure that the relevant traditions in the local
authority's area are appropriately reflected in Group A."
(c)
It was noted that the membership / constitution had
not been reviewed since 1996. It was questioned whether the relevant traditions
of the area were being reflected appropriately in Group A, and views were
sought on the Humanists' request to be members of Group A.
(ch) The following
points were raised when discussing the above:
i.
What happened in other
Authorities?
ii.
The guidance in the GCSE course was that Humanists
could be invited to schools to speak.
iii.
Was Humanism a belief system, rather than a
religion?
iv.
Shouldn't we welcome as much diversity as possible
in Group A, bearing in mind the recent situation where
there was no quorum at a meeting?
Reference was also
made to the following observations -
-
The Committee would benefit
from hearing the voices of various religions in their discussions which was
essential for the Religious Education Learning Field curriculum.
-
It would promote contact
between Headteachers, Teachers and Pupils of various
beliefs directly face-to-face.
-
It would be an opportunity to build bridges and
promote a society that is more tolerant of various beliefs.
- It was confirmed that
Humanism was introduced in some of Gwynedd's schools
It was confirmed that the Wales Association of SACREs had appointed a
Humanist on its Working Committee and shouldn't SACRE reflect what was being
taught?
There was a need to be careful in case of giving priority to some beliefs
and such requests needed to be managed carefully.
Were there any
criteria?
This was an opportunity to learn and share expertise.
Recommended: That the SACRE Committee would be
favorable to evidence-based requests, with the condition that non-religious
beliefs be taught in Gwynedd Schools. Referring to
the specific application, it was confirmed that the inclusion of the Humanists
to Group A.
It was reported that a discussion had arisen at the previous meeting
regarding the possibility of inviting school pupil(s) to be a part of the
current membership in order to hear the voice of the pupil. The principle was
discussed for the purposes of being inclusive; however, it was noted that
practical matters existed that meant that this would not be possible, such as
co-travelling to meetings. Some highlighted their concern that they were not
certain of their purpose as the voice of any pupil was clear in the school and
it was questioned in what context the pupil would be involved in any decisions?
Recommended: To withdraw the
proposal.
Supporting documents: