Mr. Arthur Adana, the Gladstonian Minister of Educa- tion, lays
it down as the sine qud non of a good Educa- tion Bill that (1) "there must be reasonable equality in the treatment of Board-schools and voluntary schools ;" (2) "that any additional grant must go to increase educational efficiency and not to decrease voluntary subscriptions ; " and (3) "that there must be some element of representative control in return for the grant of public money." We accept the second principle without qualification. Bnt as to the first it is difficult to see how the voluntary schools will be pat on a footing of " equality " with Board-schools if the Board-schools are to have the power to eclipse the voluntary sohools by im- posing, whenever they please, a rate in addition to the grant ; and as to the third principle, the control of the inspectors of the Education Department ought to be quite as sufficient to secure the proper application of the additional grant, as it is now for that of the grants which it already sanctions.
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