One of Scotland’s most influential educationists has denounced what she describes as hostile attitudes to Catholic schools and people of faith in Scotland.  

Professor Roisin Coll, who is Director of the St Andrews Foundation for training Catholic teachers, said that such attitudes were “at odds with Scotland’s desire to be a liberal and enlightened country.” 

The Professor, who is stepping down from her role after six years, said she was depressed that in 2024, “she and many of her colleagues still feel required to defend the existence of Catholic state schools in Scotland”.  

In an exclusive interview today in The Herald, she praised Scotland’s deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes for “encouraging people of faith to be true to their principles and beliefs”, but condemned the way she was treated by her own party during last year’s leadership contest. 

“I was appalled at the way some in her own party had treated her during that leadership campaign and the abuse she endured on social media. To me, it was indicative of how persons of faith in this country, holding alternative viewpoints from the current trend, can be ridiculed and cancelled. And that this is happening in supposedly liberal, diverse Scotland, is chilling.”  

Professor Coll also declared that Scotland should have other types of faith schools, including Church of Scotland and Islam.

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“Catholic schools exist all over the world, indeed the Church is the largest NGO provider of education on the planet, but nowhere else do they receive more negative attention than in Scotland.  

“That is sad, particularly since they are so successful and the choice of 20% of families in the country, of all faiths and none. Catholic schools are open to all families and offer parents something distinctive for their children.” 

Professor Coll introduced Nicola Sturgeon in 2018 when the former First Minister made a landmark speech on the centenary of Catholic education about their positive contribution to Scottish society. Now she believes that Catholic schools on Scotland are facing more hostility than ever before.  

“On reflection, it wasn’t the defining moment we then thought it was,” she said. “Beyond that statement and some funding to support courses to teach RE there has been little follow up.  

“I’ve not seen many actions to promote or support the distinctive nature of the Catholic school or the teachers within, even though our schools meet a deep social need in some of our most deprived areas. Indeed, some of the education policies introduced have been driven by ideologies that run counter to the philosophies we promote in a Catholic school. 

“We are now seeing something I would describe as ‘fear pressure’. This is fuelled predominantly by social media, where young people of faith are scared to speak up for what they believe in. It’s rooted in fear of being rejected, cancelled, ridiculed and even attacked.”