Introduction
On 18 May 2004 the then First Minister, Jack McConnell, outlined his vision for an anti-sectarian future in the following statement to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland:
‘Scotland is a great country… But we can be an even better country … Building on our strengths, but dealing with our weaknesses too ... Tolerant, open, and welcoming.
As long as I am First Minister, and for as long as there are those with prejudice, I will stand against racism, sectarianism and intolerance. And I believe that those who take that stand are winning the battle. I believe that even in the short time since I became First Minister we can see a difference in Scotland.
There remains sectarian hatred in the hearts and minds of a minority, but I believe they are becoming less likely to shout with pride of their bigotry. And those of us who speak out, those who reject the notion that one tradition, a belief in one faith, leads to a loathing of another are beginning to make a difference. And with our rejection of hatred within a faith we can also speak up for understanding and common cause between faiths. Scotland is a country of many faiths - and of none. And there is room here for a healthy mix of people, cultures and religions.’
The former First Minister has also convened two summits on Sectarianism. Information about both can be found on the Action for Sectarianism site.
In accordance with the Action Plan in Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland, four education action points were undertaken:
ACTION 1: The (then) Scottish Executive provided £100,000 during 2006 to support anti-sectarian project work in schools, promote use of the anti-sectarian education resource and develop innovative approaches to tackling sectarianism. £13,500 was also provided to support the use of the resource in youth work.
ACTION 2: The (then) Scottish Executive ran seven pilot performances and supported education workshops of the anti-sectarian play 'Singing I'm No a Billy, He's A Tim', which involved 700 pupils from across Scotland.
ACTION 3: The (then) Scottish Executive produced an information pack for schools and local authorities which highlighted the principles of twinning, the good practice examples, illustrated ways to overcome potential barriers, and contained a comprehensive list of twinning activities and contacts.
ACTION 4: To raise the profile of the work that is being taken forward to tackle sectarian bigotry at school level, an anti-sectarianism category will be developed for the Scottish Education Awards 2006.
Taking the action points forward, the following education initiatives were developed: