ROMAN CATHOLICS AND THE EDUCATION ACT

Evening Star, Issue 12399, 12 January 1905, Page 5

ROMAN CATHOLICS AND THE EDUCATION ACT

The following correspondence has passed between the Catholic League of South Loudon and Dr Macnamara, M.P. : From the Catholic League to Dr Macnamara.—Dor sr, —In view of your candidature for Parliament at the nest General Election, wo are directed by the “Five Hundred” of the Catholic. League of South London to submit the annexed' question, and we shall be grateful if you could favor us with a reply thereto at your earliest convenience:—“ Will you, if elected to Parliament, oppose any proposals which wouki inroair the denominational character of Catholic schools, as secured by the Education Act of 1902?”

From Dr Maciuimara. to the Catholic League ol South London.—My dear Father Brown, —In reply to your communication on behalf of the South London Catholic League, I have to say: (1) I should propose so to amend the Education Act of 1902 as to secure the establishment of a genuinely national system of education. (2) The main features of that system should be; (a) Full public control over the secular education; (b) the recognition of the teacher as a public servant; (c) the pavment of a fair rental by the public authority to denominational trustees for any use of their buildings; (d) a common family worship and Bible lesson, subject, of course, to a conscience clause, as the opening function of_ each day’s school work (if this is resisted’as an unfair establishment of something approaching the denominationalism of any particular sect I greatly fear the State will have, as a counsel of despair, to confine its efforts exclusively to the secular side of education, because it is hopelessly impracticable for the State to endeavor to dispense State-controlled denominational teaching all round, and it must do no more and no less for one denomination than for the others); and (e) facilities for the use of school premises outside the State auspices and by volunteer teachers for the imparting of specific denominational teaching to any children on whose behalf request for the same has been made by their parents (3) I wish to add—though I venture to think your knowledge of my work makes this unnecessary so far as vou personally are concerned—that I should* always do my best to prevent the imposition of any disability upon any member' of the community either because of the expressed form of his religious belief or because of his disinclination to commit, himself to any expression of such, belief. finally, I am aware that the question is asked: “Why, since Catholics are tax and rate pavers, .cannot they have provision mads for Cathoilic religious tcachiDg -oukof tho pablui^purso

to which they contribute?” My answer is that a similar concession wodld necessarily Imv' to 1C irrinteo to members of all religious denominations; and to those who are memb, rs of none. Ibis may be theoretically sound and logically irresistible; but rt is, as I say, hopelessly impracticable.—i I am, my dear Father Brown, yours very faithfully, T. J. Macnamara.