The Free Churches and School Age The resolution carried by
the Free Church Council on the subject of grants to non-provided schools if the school age is raised is of some importance, for it was through the difficulty of getting agreement between the denomina- tions on this subject that Sir Charles Trevelyan's attempt to raise the age broke down. As things are, in those rural districts where only non-provided, i.e., .denomina- tional, schools exist, grants to meet the extra expenditure due to the raising of the age will be necessary,'and Free Churchmen in particular have hitherto objected to grants of public money to Church of England or Roman Catholic schools in this connexion. The Free Church Council resolution, moved by Dr.. Scott Lidgett, committed the Free Church Council to acceptance of the principle of a temporary grant to such schools of 50 per cent. of the cost of the increased accommodation—a reasonable pro- posal which will remove one serious objection to the higher school age project. The Government is being left with less and less excuse for its failure to...raise the age to 15.
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