A senior Scottish Catholic has said there is no place for homosexual teachers in faith schools.Bishop of Motherwell, Joseph Devine, was referring to a code which could stop openly gay teachers being appointed in Catholic schools.
He spoke about the issue in an article in the Sunday Herald newspaper.
But local government body Cosla said councils would not agree to discriminating against a teacher because of their sexual orientation.
The Charter for Catholic Schools outlines 10 elements of the church's philosophy of education which can be found in Catholic schools throughout Scotland.
Bishop Devine said: "Being openly gay would not at all be compatible with the charter." The president of the Catholic Education Commission added: "It would cut across the whole moral vision enshrined in the charter and it would be offering a lifestyle that is incompatible with Catholic social teaching.
"Being openly gay could well affect promotions."
The charter is a mission statement specifying what exactly the church expects from schools and teachers.
The bishop said he could appreciate the fears of parents who did not want their children taught by homosexuals.
However, councillor Rev Ewan Aitken, Cosla's education spokesperson, told the paper: "Local authorities would never countenance discriminating against a teacher because of sexual orientation."
'Community of faith'
The charter was launched in June last year by Bishop Devine and Michael McGrath, director of the Catholic Education Service.
The bishop said at the time: "The charter embodies the essential elements of the Catholic Church's philosophy of education which is based on its understanding of each human person created in the image of God, uniquely gifted for life and worthy of the utmost respect and nurturing.
"The charter stresses the Catholic school's role as a community of faith and learning with a responsibility to provide an integrated approach to learning and formation, based on explicit values which are shared and celebrated, and promoting the importance of service to the common good."
Any thoughts?
― Tonya, Monday, 21 March 2005 00:03 (twenty-one years ago)
The Sunday Herald Article:
http://www.sundayherald.com/48509EXCLUSIVE: ‘Being openly gay would not at all be compatible with the Charter. It would be offering a lifestyle that is incompatible with Catholic social teaching,’ Bishop Joseph Devine
By Paul Hutcheon, Scottish Political Editor
SENIOR Catholics have drawn up plans to ban gay teachers taking up jobs in faith schools and to refuse promotion to those already in post.
The move has unleashed a storm of criticism and has put the church in conflict with local authorities across the country.
The plans stem from A Charter for Catholic Schools, a mission statement designed to define exactly what the Church expects from teachers in its schools.
Bishop Joseph Devine, president of the Catholic Education Commission, told the Sunday Herald that the proposed code would stop homosexual teachers from being hired by faith-based schools.
“Being openly gay would not at all be compatible with the charter,” he said. “It would cut across the whole moral vision enshrined in the charter. It would be offering a lifestyle that is incompatible with Catholic social teaching.”
Devine said the charter would not lead to gay teachers already employed in the sector being fired, but that it would affect the career opportunities of staff who were open about their sexuality: “Being openly gay could well affect promotions.”
He also said he could “well understand” the fears of parents who did not want their children taught by homosexuals, adding that the new rules would make up for the fact some gay teachers had slipped through the net.
“In practice, I would think that it is possible that some may been hired, but [the schools] may not have known until it was too late. That’s our fault for not making the proper checks and references. The charter tightens it up,” he says.
Local authority umbrella group Cosla has been locked in talks with the Church for months over the charter, which it fears will lead to a spate of legal challenges being made against them for discrimination.
Councillor Rev Ewan Aitken, Cosla’s Education spokesperson, said his organisation would never sign up to the Bishop’s policy. “Local authorities would never countenance discriminating against a teacher because of sexual orientation. Councils would be in court in seconds,” he said.
A number of meetings have taken place between councils and the Church since last June, but no agreement has been reached. Cosla has asked for various changes, as well seeking legal advice on the charter.
A council source close to the negotiations with the Church revealed that local authorities had a number of issues with the charter. “We think that laying down strict conditions for what staff must believe in to get a job in a Catholic school could reduce the pool of talent that is available in the sector. Also, it could lead to practices that are potentially discriminatory,” he said.
“You have to remember that it would be councils that would be sued by teachers, not the Catholic authorities. It would be directors of education.”
The source also said the failure to reach a deal was partly due to splits within the Catholic Church, with senior churchmen on the east coast more willing to compromise than their colleagues in the west.
Colin Dalrymple, the general secretary of the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland, admitted that no agreement had been reached on the charter.
“It certainly hasn’t been approved by ADES or the councils. There is absolutely no agreement with the councils, or with the Executive or the teaching associations,” he said.
Judith Gillespie, a representative of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, condemned Devine’s “very sad” views.
“His comments are worse than unfair and it reflects on the whole mindset of the Church that it wants to reject a group of people who are not choosing their lifestyle. I thought Christianity was about inclusion and brotherhood,” she said.
Tim Hopkins, of the Equality Network, said it would be illegal for Catholic schools to turn away gay teachers. He pointed out that Article 13 of the Amsterdam Treaty outlaws discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, despite religious organisations being granted a degree of flexibility over its enforcement.
“What Bishop Devine is saying is against the law. For him either to deny a promotion or not to hire a gay teacher is a clear breach of employment regulations. He is also creating an intimidating working environment for those gay teachers already working in the sector,” he said.
The charter was launched in June last year by Devine and Michael McGrath, director of the Catholic Education Service, as a way of laying down the moral framework of denominational schools.
Emphasising the “coherent philosophy of life” provided by Catholic education, the document set out a 10-point plan that explained the schools’ distinctive ethos.
It also insisted that all staff appointed to the denominational sector would be “exp-ected to support and promote the aims, missions, values and ethos of the schools,” which Devine believes precludes the hiring of gay teachers.
A Scottish Executive spokes-person said: “The employment of teachers is a matter for local authorities. The Executive would expect authorities, in pursuit of their statutory obligations, to employ the best quality staff available.”
20 March 2005
― Tonya, Monday, 21 March 2005 00:07 (twenty-one years ago)
Devine said the charter would not lead to gay teachers already employed in the sector being fired, but that it would affect the career opportunities of staff who were open about their sexuality: “Being openly gay could well affect promotions.”
He also said he could “well understand” the fears of parents who did not want their children taught by homosexuals, adding that the new rules would make up for the fact some gay teachers had slipped through the net.
“In practice, I would think that it is possible that some may been hired, but [the schools] may not have known until it was too late. That’s our fault for not making the proper checks and references. The charter tightens it up,” he says.
I can't believe this would be legal. But I wonder how many parents would back it. I would imagine, sadly, quite a lot. Remember the fuss about clause 28 a few years back.
― Tonya, Monday, 21 March 2005 00:10 (twenty-one years ago)