Current status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 August 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities and the General Teaching Council for Scotland on balancing teachers' responsibilities to demonstrate political impartiality in schools with their rights to hold and express protected religious beliefs under the Equality Act 2010, and what action it is taking to ensure that individuals working in the education sector are protected from discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief.
It is the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s responsibility as the independent professional registration and regulatory body for teachers in Scotland, to ensure teaching standards are upheld. GTCS, local authorities and professional associations, operate with appropriate independence, which the Scottish Government respects. This autonomy is an important feature of a balanced and credible system. It sits alongside clear responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty, which requires public authorities to exercise their functions in a way that advances equality, eliminates discrimination and fosters good relations between communities.