It has been rumoured during the past week that the
basis of the Government's new Education Bill is to be contracting out. Popular control is to be applied to the non-provided schools in such a way as to make them indistinguishable from the provided, but schools which like to do so will be able to exempt themselves from its operation by refusing rate-aid. They will, in fact, revert to the status quo ante 1002. At the same time, the Government grant will be increased, though not on a scale large enough to make up the loss caused by the non-acceptance of rate-aid. As our readers know, we have always favoured contracting out, but all depends upon the amount of the Government grant. If it is fixed at a reasonable figure, though annual subscriptions will be required, there will be no great ground of complaint. Annual sub- scriptions are the most powerful barrier against undue State interference. The chief difficulty will no doubt be the Roman Catholic schools in poor neighbourhoods. Mr. Birrell, it will be remembered, declared that a man must have a heart of stone not to be touched by the sacrifices made by the Roman Catholics to maintain their schools. We shall see When the Bill is printed what amount of cordial petrifaction, if any, has overtaken the Cabinet.
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