EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 172, 14 April 1908, Page 7

EDUCATION.

EFFORT TO MAKE THE; CHURCHES AGREE. THE CRUCIAL POINT. TO MAINTAIN RELIGION IN THE SCHOOLS. TELECBArn —PHEES ASSOCIATION— COPTBIOHT. London, April 12. A meeting presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury favoured a conference of churchmen, nonconformists, and ..Catholics to adjust their differences and to maintain religious teaching in tho national education system. , ' PROPOSED SOLUTIONS, r There is a crowing feeling in England that unless the religious bodies can settle, their differences as regards the teaching of religion in the schools the Government will be'compelled to exclude nil religious instruction, and several attempts have , been made, to-induco the representatives of the ; different churches to agree to some compromise. The Government pr6posals, as set out in Mr. Jf'lvenna's Bill, are briefly as follows No rate aid for schools at which denominational teaching is. given. . . Abolition of compulsory attendance 'at schools where . denominational teaching is given. , No voluntary schools to be allowed to exist in fingle-school parishes. . . , ... No religious teste tor teachers in' council schools.' The existing Cowper-Temnle religious teaching may bo given in council schools. Undenominational* schools to: ..'beprovided by the local authority for , . children whose parents wish to have them accommodated in 6uch schools. Voluntary schools'" to bo given Treasury grants if they provide a secular education as good as that in the council schools.. _ V The council schools to have '"grunt 1 aid • atf well as rate aid; the voluntary schools to have vcnly. grant , aid and no Tate'aid;' Voluntary schools not to be allowed to be carried on for profit nor to charge a fee of more than ninenence a week to each child., _ , Voluntary schools; to be allowed: .to exist only if tho parents wish them to. ' Parents not wishing their children to attend a denominational school to call on tho local authority to 'provide undenominational aecoimr:ii:l'ition.. ,If the trustees of voluntary _ schools transfer them to the local authorities no denominational teaching to be any longer ' given in school hours.' They may' give it outside school hours and onj, Saturdays and Sandays if ■ they ■ wish. ■' Expected extra cost to the Exchequer of the new Bill: J81,400,000 a year. ; No area to receive in grant aid from the Exchequer less per child than Ms. a year more than it now receives. . .. .a.The.above Bill receives the support of the Nonconformists, who, though not satisfied with all its. provisions; : rejjard iithas,"'th(jsbest' solution, that has-at s present any hope of be r coming law. Proposals r'or a put', forward by the Bishop/of ■'Manchester: and* the Bishop of St. Asaph has-a Bill before the House of' Lords which has been received with considerable, favour, Times" hinting that, he,.has been giveji.'/: Ministerial'encourage'; n'ent. '• .. . , Another solu'tiin\''sugg4sted , "is fh'lit "equal' facilities should be'given I 'to 'accredited reprej, sentatives of ; all religious bodies to' teach' the children the. religion bf.'.their parents.' "It is' .contended that this, would be fair to all parties concerned, and .nt : ;the' ! sanie time'give' effect, to the general wish of; the electors that religious instruction, should"not be:excluded...

" Lastly there is the secular : solution, .which* (means the'exclusion of all -, religion ... instruction from the schools. This is stipportedl by the Labour party and bv, some.Radicals, while others are being unwillingly .forced .to . : accept this solution in despair of devising any scheme acceptable to all r the religious bodies. ,