THE NATIONALISTS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 148, 17 March 1908, Page 7

THE NATIONALISTS.

AN ENGLISH CAMPAIGN.

ATTITUDE TO "CONTFIACTING-OUT." DT TIiLKGIIArn —PIIESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. (Rec. March 16, 11.23 p.m.) London, March 16. Mr. John Redmond, Leader of tho Nationalist party, speaking at Manchester, discussing the Education ( Bill, declared contracting-out would place Catholic schools in an unfair position, • unless the Government grant was largely increased.. Tho Nationalists, lie.- stated, had decided to open a Home Rule campaign in every'' English constituency.-. . i. \ ; LOSS OF RATE-AID. . Tho contracting-out provision enables schools to cut themselves off from rate-aid, and from, tho restrictions which it involves, and to rely upon tho Government grant alone.' How tho teachers regard, this crippling of the financial powers is shown by the following resolution passed at a recent meeting of the .Executive of tho National Union of Teachers:— ' ' "That in view of the probability of . *the forthcoming' Education Bill containing clauses which would enable. non-provided schools to bo withdrawn from the control of the local education authorities, and from tho benefit of rate-aid, tho Executive of tho National Union of Teachers wish'to protest in advinco against any such proposals, and to affirm'that in the opinion and experience of teachers ,in such schools generally such contracting-out would bo fatal to the efficiency ; of theV schools, and. injurious ,to the health, comfort, and education ofj.the children. Further, in the opinion of tho Executive such a proposal,',.if carried,, .can only lead to the indefinite postponement of the adoption .of a .'national ■ system of education." ' 1 One speaker said that \ if, the. Government now brought in a Bill to' permit the, non-pro-vided school 'managers- to -contract out, ho matter what safeguards may be'introduced, it would be to the injury of tho children attending these schools. The conditions-would bo worse, than they were before the Act of .1.902. .They would not .in. the .future be ,a?4e to get support from voluntary sources to supplement . the Government grants as, .in .-' tho' past, nnd , the • children would suffer. Any safeguards put in might be whittled-down. by. some future Government, or alterations might be niade by the Department without Parliamentary sanction. If this system were inaugurated, in a short timo, thero might be another, Government in power ,who., .would increase the, grants'to .those schools and enablo ithem to continuo thoir existence.