The Archbishop of Canterbury made an interesting speech on the
education question at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Diocesan Education Society on Monday. He repudiated the charge that the Church claimed one-sided treatment. They only asked that two principles should be safeguarded first, that if the Voluntary schools were to be still used they should have, whatever their denomination, precisely the same treatment ; second, that there should be no repudiation of the conditions on which the Voluntary schools were built in days gone by. The State had invited them to build and carry on the schools now known as non- Provided schools ; pledges had been given by Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Forster, Lord Ripon, and others ; and while admitting that the nation must retain the right of reconsidering the bargain, he contended that no attempt had been made to justify a wholesale change by showing that those to whom the responsibilities bad been entrusted had failed to discharge them. Subject to the maintenance of those broad principles, he admitted that the Voluntary schools could not go on for the future exactly as they were to-day, and that definite changes must take place on the lines of accepting popular control and the freedom of teachers from denominational tests. Though recent efforts at a settlement had failed, be did not despair of success if the Government approached the whole question afresh with a less complicated scheme and took counsel with moderate, reasonable, thoughtful men on both sides of the controversy. There was, he added, a big body of central opinion in England which did want this question settled, a desire which he himself shared. The Archbishop's speech was moderate and conciliatory, but he laid himself open to the reply of Lord Crewe on the following day that it was useless to reopen communications with a view to compromise except on the lines discussed and rediscussed before the House of Lords.
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