IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 12868, 18 July 1906, Page 6

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

Press r Association— &j Telegraph—Copyright. THE EDUCATION BILL. LONDON, Jury 17. Clause 35 (conferring power to providte for the accommodation and health of children) and clause 36 (abolishing the teachers' register made obligatory by the Board of Education Act, 1899) have passed the committee stage in the House of Commons.

[There was a, large number of teachers and educational experts who opposed the abolition of the teachers' register. Mesdames E. M. Sidgwick and Sophie Bryant summarised these objections as follows • In our opinion; the abolition of the regis-' Us would be a great mistake, and wo ro£*r that hj has t** ll introduced mto the Bill now before Parliament. We think that its abolition would do harm to secondary check the progress of professional training of teachers, and diminish seriously the confidence of secondary teachers m the Board of Education, by suggesting constant rianges. We know that the abolition would inflict a serious grievance on many who have made pecuniary and other sacrifices in order to qualify for registration, s<nd we believe that it would deal a severe blow to training colleges for secondary teachers which have been developing under the influence of the register—a biow which would not, we think, be materially softened by 'the direct encouragement of training through giants' which Mr Birrell hopes to arrange. We think,; too, that the moment' selected for abolition is peculiarly unfortunate, as it is only this year that temporary regulations, necessary for secondary teachers in the initial stage, came to an end, so that the permanent regulations have not yet bad a C C DC \ of l ' oing tested - We do not' deny that the formation and maintenance of a register involve difficulties, but wo think they can be overcome. Nor, of course, do we deny that tie register might well be extended to include classes of teachers not yet provided for. But for secondary teachers the register is doing excellent work, and we believe it will do more now that the natal stage is past. It was right that the requirements of secondary teachers should be first attended to, because it was in this branch of the profession that a definition of the ininimum qualification which could he regarded as sufficient, as well as a stimulus to adequate training, was most needed. We feel this so strongly that, even if the register aa a whole has to be abandoned, we hope that at least a register of secondary teachers may be maintained." Possibly Mr Birrell, in view of the deletioii of all that part of the Bill dealing with, secondary education, intends to allow the question of a register to stand over until his farther proposals are matured.] THE EMPIRE CONGRESS, LONDON, Jury 17 Sir H. &mipbell3annerman, replying to Mr J. B. Lonsdale, the Unionist member for Armagh, said that he bad noted the passing of a resolution in regard to preference adopted at the Congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the Empire, but the Government's policy was not likely to be changed. Any proposal submitted by the Colonial Conference would receive respectful consideration. SHIPPING REBATES. LONDON, July 17 Mr Lloyd-George (President of the Board of Trade) intends to appoint a commission to inquire into the question of shipping rebates. AN ABANDONED PROGRAMME. LONDON, July 17. Mr Runchnan, Secretary to the Local Government Board, on behalf of Sir E. Grey (Foreign Secretary), announced that the British fleet's proposed visit to the Raltio had been abandoned altogether. THE TRANSVAAL CONSTITUTION. LONDON, Jury 17. (Received Jury 18. at. 7.27 a.m.) Replying to Mr A. Lyttelton (ex-Colo-nial Secretary), Sir H. Gampbell-Banner-man said he expects to be able to make a statement respecting the Transvaal Constitution before Parliament, rises. THE REPORTED CABINET CRISIS. LONDON, July 17. The ' Daily Chronicle' saya that the Cabinet has decided to build a second battleshio on the lii*es of the Dreadnought, thus terminating the crisis between th Ackniralty and the Treasury. MUSICAL COPYRIGHT. LONDON, Jury 17. (Received July 18, at 7.27 a.m.) The Musical Copyright Bill has passed the committee stage in the Commons