What happens to our RC Primary schools and need for a Secondary Catholic School in Aberdeen, UK

I’ve learned that real change doesn’t happen overnight. I’m taking what I call the “tortoise approach” — slow, steady, and guided by due process.

This is a matter of civil rights — the right of Catholic families in Scotland to equality and dignity in education.
In the United States, segregation was drawn along lines of colour.
In the United Kingdom, it has too often been drawn along lines of faith — Catholic vs non-Catholic.

Like the tortoise, I believe persistence and patience will win in the end.

#Persistence #Accountability #Fairness #DueProcess #CivilRights #EducationEquality

I’ve now submitted a formal complaint to Aberdeen City Council about the fairness of its consultation on denominational education. The process behind the Catholic Secondary School Feasibility Study was incomplete and selectively analysed, excluding many non-Catholic parents, grandparents and community supporters from 1,700 responses.

Both Aberdeen City Council and the Scottish Government stated in their responses to Petition PE2129 that the current arrangements are “sufficient and fair” and that national consistency in consultation or criteria cannot be applied. This position disregards lived community experience and equality duties.

Cllr Richard Brooks has been apprised of this complaint and continues to support the call for fairness and representation for Aberdeen’s 20,000 Catholics, many of them families of colour.

#Fairness #Accountability #Aberdeen #CatholicEducation

I started this 38 Degrees petition with Aberdeen Ethnic Minority Women’s Group CIC to secure Aberdeen’s first Catholic secondary school — the only major Scottish city without one, despite around 20,000 Catholic residents and 3 RC primary. As the campaign grew, we also fought to protect RC primary schools.

I later lodged Petition PE2129 with the Scottish Parliament to standardise how councils assess demand, after non-Catholic and grandparent voices were excluded from 1,700 feasibility study responses. Both the Scottish Government (SNP) and Aberdeen City Council (SNP–Lib Dem) claimed fairness in denominational provision is “not possible.” In 2024 and 2025, the Education Committee and Full Council rejected the proposal. The Petitions Committee closed PE2129 without oral evidence — no person of colour, no woman of colour, no practising Catholic.

When fairness is declared impossible, it’s like asking wolves to decide if lambs need protection from foxes.

I’ve kept this quiet for a long time.

My petition PE2129: “Standardise criteria and consultations for assessing demand for denominational schools” has now been closed by the Scottish Parliament’s Petitions Committee.

Both the Scottish Government (SNP) and Aberdeen City Council (SNP–Lib Dem) said that fairness in denominational school provision is “not possible.”

When Catholic families and people of colour are excluded from consultations, their voices filtered out, their needs reinterpreted until invisible — that’s systemic racism.

Even the committee itself has no person of colour, no woman of colour, no practising Catholic.

This is systemic racism.
This is the evidence.

#SystemicRacism

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/espencer_the-pe2129-petition-background-actions-taken-ugcPost-7381619017100460032-UMwM?

Ask your friends and families “ALL OVER THE WORLD” to be our ALLIES! 🙏🏽

Support our dream for a “Secondary CATHOLIC SCHOOL in Aberdeen” a reality. Help all denominational communities in Scotland to have a fair process of assessing their needs. We urgently need a uniform policy and law for all.

We are still persevering- after this online petition I presented deputation at Aberdeen City Council Education Committee and Full Council; corresponded with MSPs, Scottish Government, UK Government; and submitted two previous petitions, which were declined due to lack of a uniform national policy for Catholic education. Hence, this is a small light in the darkness , hopefully amplified by joining yours.

Please Note - Your signature will not be counted until you click the link in your email.

https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2129

Elizabeth Spencer

Please Note - Your signature will not be counted until you click the link in the email.

https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2129

A petition in support of Catholic Schools in Scotland. Please share widely and encourage everyone to sign, so we can standardise the demand for Catholic and denominational education, leading to the establishment of more denominational schools across Scotland.

https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2129

We believe that “Children of Faith” have the right to continue their education in a Catholic secondary school after completing primary education in RC schools, as part of their right to education in Scotland, including in Aberdeen.

Scottish Government has a “duty of care” to enable this all throughout Scotland, not just Aberdeen.

We are still appealing and we have written to our MSPs to help us as well. Kindly write to yours and send us a copy at [email protected]

Keep the faith and keep praying 🙏🏽 Change comes when hope joins with faith, and moves with love!

Elizabeth Spencer

Aberdeen does not have issues with sectarianism, despite what some may accuse politicians of who openly practice their faith.

The important thing is we have got the conversation started!

It was said this was the only feasibility study to have these many respondents - 1300 people responded, of which approximately 750 were deemed eligible, as the views of grandparents and others were disregarded.

This debate is about children of all faiths, not just one. As a Catechist for the RC Diocese I do not condemn anyone!

The Lord Provost chaired the committee with fairness and balance in his approach.

The amendment for the need for a working group has been defeated 24 to 18. There is a clear lack of funding- 120 million is not easy to conjure up for ACC - so I feel Scottish parliament has to allocate that budget for the GB HQ of UK to make this dream a reality!

Please keep signing ✍️- pen is mightier than the sword!

The petition for the Secondary school is still valid! So I have hope!

Direct link to the recording of Full Council Debate

https://aberdeen.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/908918

Today, I spoke at the Full Council Meeting in support of establishing a Catholic Secondary School in Aberdeen.

You can watch it here, the votes will be cast and a decision will be made by 4 pm today if we get our Secondary Catholic Academy or not!

https://lnkd.in/eHXJqdBT

If approved, this will mark the first-ever council-funded Catholic Academy in our city — a school that welcomes faith and offers a unique environment for students. This is not just about education; it’s about showing that Aberdeen is ready to embrace diversity and move forward into the modern world. With the eye of the work on us as the GB Energy HQ we would want to show our inclusive ethos for those who have faith.

Historically, Aberdeen has maintained neutrality and rarely experienced sectarian tensions between Catholics and the Church of Scotland. In our Catholic primary schools we have children from different faiths and Nationalities. We only ask for the continuation of this into a Secondary Catholic School.

Below is the debate I had with the Head of Campaigns for National Secular Society hosted by GoodMorning Scotland, BBC Radio Host Graham Stewart on 26/09/2024

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAYe-kkC74F/?igsh=d3h2Yzc4andtOHNl

We need atleast 1000 signatures or more!

A Catholic Secondary Academy will be the first of its kind in both Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire! Times have changed, and the need for it has never been greater!

Please share this message widely to help secure denominational Catholic secondary academies for our current RC Primary School students, as well as those in council-run secondary schools who currently have no other option!

Another important issue is the long travel times many children face to access Catholic education at the primary level. This highlights the need for more Catholic primary schools in Aberdeen as well.

With nearly 19,000 Catholics and an even larger number from other faith backgrounds choosing Catholic primary schools, this isn’t just about faith - it’s about the ethos and values that parents want for their children!

BBC Scotland News -https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crl8nxr8pz4o