Muslims and humanists could be represented on Wrexham religious education advisory body under new changes

Muslims and humanists could be represented on an advisory body which provides guidance on religious education and worship in Wrexham’s schools.

Wrexham Council has outlined proposed changes to the constitution of the county borough’s Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) after it was described as being “not fit for purpose”.

Currently the panel is only made up of figures from Christian denominations.

The move is partly designed to provide a voice for the large number of Muslims living in the area, with one person set to be picked from the town’s mosque.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Government has advised that groups with non-religious beliefs can be appointed after a request was received from Wrexham Humanists to have a voice on the council.

Cllr Phil Wynn, the council’s lead member for education, said current members had already been consulted on the changes.

In a report, he said: “The SACRE constitution requires review as it is not currently fit for purpose due to changes in educational legislation and practice.

“A clear process is required for the appointment of Group A representatives – a group of persons to represent the Christian denominations and other religions and beliefs as, in the opinion of the authority, will appropriately reflect the principal religious traditions in the area.

“Based on the significant number of Muslims living and worshipping in Wrexham (evident in the 2011 Census) and that Wrexham has a mosque in the town centre, it deemed appropriate by the SACRE membership to have a place on Group A for a representative from the Islamic Cultural Centre Wrexham, alongside the Christian denominations.

“The Welsh Government Education Minister’s letter of 3 May 2018 confirms that representatives from non-religious beliefs can be appointed to Group A in order to ensure that SACRE reflects the beliefs of the communities it serves in full, and in order to conform to current legislation.

“A request has been received from Wrexham Humanists to appoint a humanist as a full member of the SACRE.”

Humanism is the belief that it is possible to live a good and fulfilling life without following a traditional religion, valuing traits like reason and relying on science to explain the way things are.

The issue of appointing humanists to SACRE bodies has been the subject of considerable discussions on a national level, including a legal challenge by Humanists UK against the Vale of Glamorgan Council for refusing to allow them to have a member.

It led to Wales’ Education Minister Kirsty Williams clarifying that representatives from non-religious beliefs can be appointed.

Executive board members will discuss the proposals at a meeting on Tuesday, October 13, where they will be asked to support having one Muslim representative and one humanist apppointee on Wrexham’s SACRE.

By Liam Randall – BBC Local Democracy Reporter