A new report by the Welsh Senedd’s Cross Party Group on Human Rights highlights serious and systemic human rights failures in Wales, including the ongoing requirement for daily Christian collective worship. Wales Humanists has welcomed the Progress on Human Rights in Wales report and called for the Welsh Government to take action to end collective worship.
The report was published with support from Amnesty International UK and the Observatory on Human Rights and Social Justice. In its section on children’s rights, the report references the submission from Wales Humanists showing that non-religious children in Wales still face discrimination within the school system. In particular, daily Christian collective worship remains a legal requirement in all state schools, overriding pupils’ freedom of religion or belief. Parents and children face obstacles when seeking meaningful withdrawal from worship, often leaving children isolated, with some schools failing to provide a suitable alternative.
The need to act has been given strong impetus by the Supreme Court ruling this month that mandatory Christian collective worship in schools in Northern Ireland amounts to indoctrination. The law in Wales is identical to that in Northern Ireland.
The report urges the Welsh Government to strengthen human rights protections ahead of the next Senedd term and found that rights guaranteed under international treaties remain ‘aspirational, not enforceable.’
Wales Humanists Coordinator Kathy Riddick commented:
‘This report provides a clear opportunity and responsibility to push for a rights-based Wales where dignity, equality, and justice are guaranteed for all.
‘Specifically, we have asked the Welsh Government to end compulsory collective worship and replace it with inclusive, rights-respecting assemblies. The Government should heed this report’s recommendations, and it should review collective worship quickly in light of the Supreme Court ruling.’
Notes
For further comment or information, media should contact Wales Humanists Coordinator Kathy Riddick at kathy@humanists.uk or phone 07881 625 378.
Read Progress on Human Rights in Wales.
Read the Supreme Court ruling.
Read about its impact on Wales.
Read more about Wales Humanists’ work on RE.
Read more about our work on collective worship
Wales Humanists is part of Humanists UK. Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 150,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.