Catholics and the Schools
It is to be regretted that the Roman Catholics have decided to make the question of increased support for their schools from public funds a General Election issue. The supreme achievement of the Education Act of 1944 was the agreed settlement of the religious question which Mr. Butler and Mr. Chuter Ede (working in a singularly fruitful partnership) succeeded in effecting. The only reason adduced for modifying that arrangement now is that the Catholics cannot find the money needed to cover maintenance and 50 per cent. of the cost of alterations, and desire to throw the whole of this on public funds. In return the Catholics would lease the schools at a nominal rent to the Local Education Authority and allow the Authority to appoint the teachers, though with the proviso —vital, though no doubt inevitable—that the Church should approve each appointment. This would mean that the Catholics would get definitely preferential terms compared with any other denomination. There could be no justification for that. It is true that an arrange- ment not dissimilar from this prevails in Scotland, but, as was pointed out during the 1944 debates, the position regarding religious instruction in schools in Scotland has always been substantially different from that in England. As it is the Catholics have been able to take considerable advantage of the 1936 Act, whereby local authorities can provide up to 75 per cent. of the cost of new voluntary senior schools. The 194 Act gave them other advan- tages, notably considerable financial assistance with their training colleges. Mr. Butler has definitely taken position against the Catholic proposals and it is understood that Mr. Tomlinson holds similar views and will soon make them known. It Is much to be hoped that Labour and Conservative candidates at the General Election, if questioned on this point, will be content to stand by their respective leaders.
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