The Bishop of St. Asaph has introduced into the House
of Lords a Bill for the solution of the education problem which accepts without qualification the two principles of public control and the abolition of tests. It provides that simple Christian teaching shall be given during school hours at the cost of and under the control of the local education authority, and that facilities shall be given on three days a week during school hours to enable children whose parents wish it to receive distinctive religious instruction. No part of the cost of such instruction is to be paid by the education authority. No restriction is to be imposed upon the freedom of the teacher to undertake this duty if it can be so arranged. Under this Bill the Church would surrender the appointment of the teacher, acquiesce in simple " Cowper-Templeism " at the cost of the State, give up con- tracting out, and accept public control and the abolition of tests. In return it would get universal facilities. There is nothing in the Bill, it is pointed out, to preclude differential treatment for a few exceptional cases in which contracting out might be possible. We have not space here to discuss the merits of the Bill, but we do not see why it may not be made the foundation of a real national settlement. It has, in our opinion, the great merit that it recognises as part of the duty of the State the giving of fundamental Christian teaching in all schools to all children whose parents do not object, and, further, allows the denominations to reinforce such teaching where they will.
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