THE EDUCATION BILL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13355, 8 December 1906, Page 7

THE EDUCATION BILL.

DECISION OF THE GOVERN-

3IENT.

BILL TO BE RETURNED.

AMENDMENTS MUST BE MODIFIED.

Br Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright,

(Received December 11. 10.52 p.m.)

. London, December 11. The Education Bill, with the amendments made by the House of Lords, was before the House? of Commons yesterday. The Secretary for Education (Mr. Birrell) announced that inasmuch as the amendments alter the entire character and intentions of the Bill, besides restricting the powers given for local control of the schools, Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman would ask the House on tile following day to send the whole of the amendments back to the House of Lords for reconsideration.

If the Lords persisted in the amendments the Bill would be lost, but if they restricted their amendments within the scope of the Government's scheme the Government would ask the House of Commons to consider them.

He. hinted that there is a possibility of the Government agreeing to the strengthening of clause 4 by making it a three-fourths instead of a two-thirds parental majority on the question of denominational teaching; by the forming of parents" committees, and by making it compulsory for children to attend during the hour for religious instruction.

Mr. Balfour severely criticised the action of the Government in stifling discussion on the amendments in detail. The amended Bill, he said, upheld the local control over the appointment of all teachers, but in the matter of religion rightly insisted on parental instead of local control.

Mr. John Redmond defended the amendments of the House of Lords in clause 4.

The Nonconformist members indicated that they would resist Air. BirrelFs concessions to the House of Lords.