CALLS for schoolchildren to swear oaths of allegiance in iconic buildings such as Edinburgh Castle were today branded "ridiculous" by teachers.
Former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith said youngsters should swear an oath in a bid to tackle a "diminution in national pride".
But the proposals have been strongly criticised.
Eleanor Coner, information officer with the Scottish Parent Teache
r Council, said: "It's a ridiculous idea just to grab headlines. It's the way we behave in our everyday lives that makes us good citizens, not swearing allegiance.
"Quite frankly, it will have no impact on children at all."
Tina Woolnough, founder of the pressure group Parents in Partnership, said: "Swearing an oath brings into play so many other things and we shouldn't be asking children and young people to swear oaths to anything.
"It's far more important to encourage young people to have a sense of community and have a sense of belonging, but the way to do that is not by words, it's by involving them and giving them a sense of responsibility."
A preliminary report published in October as part of Lord Goldsmith's review said that schoolchildren should take part in the ceremonies for foreigners taking British nationality.
The author of the report recommended staging the ceremonies at iconic buildings such as the Castle, Tate Britain and the National Gallery.
The full article contains 229 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
