Editor’s comment
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Editor’s comment
https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/editors-comment-221
Michael McGrath, director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, argues that the bishops rarely withhold approval. That, however, does not mean the situation will not arise of a teacher falling at the last hurdle because the Church does not believe his or her religious belief or character is compatible with the Catholic ethos. Then we may find Scottish courts having to test two potentially conflicting Acts against each other the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 and the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. Arguments over the suitability of divorced or gay applicants, or single mothers, could be played out in court. But the danger is that teachers who would previously have applied for non-sensitive posts, because approval was “deemed”, will exclude themselves. That might be on a matter of principle or because they are unwilling to subject their character to scrutiny. Either way, we are entering uncharted territory.
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