PROGRESS OF EDUCATION BILL

Evening Post, Volume LXXI, Issue 147, 22 June 1906, Page 5

PROGRESS OF EDUCATION BILL

— . — » SEVERAL CLAUSES PASSED. NONCONFORMISTS EXASPERATED. [PBISS ASSOCIATION.] LONDON, 21st June. In the House of Commons yesterday clauses 2 and 3 of the Education Bill were passed after the application of the closure. Mr Birrell announced that he was willing to amend clause 6 so as to require children to attend school during the hours devoted to religious teaching. Nonconformists are exasperated. They warn the Government that if many more concessions are made the Bill will be consistently opposed by supporters of the Minis 1 1 y. Following are "the clauses referred to in the above cable message : — Clause 2— (1) A local education authority for the purpose of continuing any existing voluntary school as a school provided by them, in cases where they desire to do so, may with the consent of the Board of Education make any arrangements they think fit by agreement with the owners of the schoolhouse of the school for obtaining such use of it as is required for carrying on a public elementary school, and may as occasion requires make fresh arrangements for the purpose in a similar manner; but it shall be a condition of any such arrangement—la) That the local education authority during the continuance of the arrangement keep the sehoolhouse in good repair, and are enabled fo make I any alterations and improvements which in. the opinion of the local education authority (or in case of dispute in the opinion of the Board of Education) may be reasonably required by the authority; and (b) that the use of the schoolhouse obtained by the local education authority is free from any trusts or conditions which are not consistent with the conduct or management of the school as a public elementary school provided by them, or in any way restrict their full control of the school. (2) The owners of the schoolhouse of any existing voluntary school which is subject to charitable trust* shall have full power, notwithstanding those trusts, to make and carry out any arrangement under this section, and in the time during which the local education authority have not the use of the schoolhouse under any such arrangement to use the schoolhouse for any purposes they think fit, subject nevertheless to any statutory provisions under which the use of the schoolhou&e or any room therein may be required for public purposes. (3) Any school in respect of which an arrangement is made under this section shall for the purposes of the Education Acta be deemed to be a school provided by the local education authority (4) Nothing in this section shall affect the powers of a local education authority with respect to purchasing or taking on lease a echoolhousfe , under section 19 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870. Clause 3.— (1) If the affording of facilities under this section for the giving of religious instruction of some special character not permitted under section 14 of the Elementary Education Act, 1870, has been made a condition' of any arrangement for the use by the local education authority of the schoolhouse of a tiansferred voluntary school, or of any scheme under this part of this Act with respect thereto, or of the purchase or hire of the echoolhouse, that authority shall, notwithstanding anything in that section, afford those facilities by enabling children whose parents wish £hem to receive religious instruction of that special character to receive that instruction, on not more than two mornings a week. (2) No part of _ the expense of giving religious instruction of a special character under this section shall be paid by the local education authority. Clause 6. — The parent of a child attending a public elementary school shall not be under any obligation to cause the child to attend at the schoolhouse, except during the times allotted in the timetable exclusively to secular instruction.