Roman Catholic Schools
SIR,—I should like to clarify a point which arises in your note concerning " The Church and the Schools." You say that " immediate financial commitments are limited by the rate at which building licences can be obtained." This, however, is not the case. The managers or governors of voluntary schools are expected to undertake immediate commitments once the development plan, in which their schools are contained, has been approved by the Minister of Education. They are expected to satisfy the Minister now that they are able and willing to meet costs of reorganisation or rebuilding which may not, in fact, be incurred for another 15 or 20years. If the managers or governors of voluntary schools which are seeking " aided status " fail to satisfy the Minister on this point, their schools are in danger of being classified as "controlled schools." The Catholic community in this country consider that this constitutes a threat to the very character of their schools as Catholic schools. They seek some means by which the threat may be removed, or at least indefinitely deferred, and for this purpose they are seeking at least some reconsideration of the procedure under Form 18 schools, by which the Minister carries out the duty imposed on him under Section 15 of the Education Act, 1944. This is the main point of the Catholic appeal at the present time, and it is a point which was emphasised, in his adoption address, by Mr. Harold Macmillan.—Yours
Coyadjutor Bishop of Brentwood.
SS. Peter and Paul's, High Road, Ilford, Essex.
[A different view appears to be expressed in the Ministry of Education's own memorandum on Roman Catholic schools, which states: " Precise estimates are obviously out of the question, if only because much of the building cannot be put in hand for years to come." No guarantee in ppecific figures is being required by the Ministry.—En., Spectator.]
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