SW News: Fife Council in Scotland has taken a crucial step by withdrawing the voting powers of its education committee's unelected religious representatives. This is the third such action by a Scottish council this year.

Council members voted 36 to 32 in a full council meeting to deprive them of their voting privileges. This follows previous decisions in the Highlands and Orkney to remove religious privilege from their own legislation, and it establishes a precedent for future councils to do the same.

According to current Scottish law, all school boards must include at least one representative from the Church of Scotland, the Catholic Church, or another religious or spiritual institution. In 1918, the Catholic Church handed over the authority of its schools to the state on the condition that the state collaborate with the religion whose interests the schools served. It considers its representatives to be important to that historical, legally required framework, guaranteeing that local governments respect the Catholic Church's faith in the state.

According to Fife Today, the 15 Catholic schools in Fife have an enormous influence on the education and beliefs of many children, young people, and locals. In accordance with recent reports, the church argued that it was reasonable and normal practice for its representatives to vote on the administration and direction of Catholic schools.

Based on recent reports, the decision to remove religious leaders' traditional voting privileges in Fife was not well received by the community. Reportedly, the church said that about 2000 individuals from the nearby area contacted councilors ahead of the meeting to express their concerns, but despite their efforts, the outcome was not favorable.