[To TES EDITOR OF THE "SPIOLLT0h."]
SIR,—It should be known, both in the interest of the Newmarket School Board and in that of the Birmingham League, that the arrangement described by your correspondent "J. P." as having been adopted at St. Mary's School, Newmarket, is strictly con- sistent with the plan proposed by the League for general adoption throughout the country. The third head of the following scheme, put forth by the Birmingham League, obviously contemplates "a division of the hours of the school-day between the Church Committee and theSchool Board :"-
1. The compulsory election of School Boards in all districts.
2. No schools to be recognised as public elementary schools but those under the control of elected School Boards.
3. Existing school buildings to be placed by consent under the- control of such Boards, for use during the hours of secular instruc- tion to be given under the direction of School Boards ; the build- ings to be retained for all other purposes by the denominations with which they are connected.
4. Any school in respect to which such control is declined, to be from participation in the annual Government grant.
The fifth prescribes that "in schools provided by School Boards out of local rates," religious instruction may be given in the time not allotted to ordinary school teaching, but so that "no privilege- shall be givee to one denomination over another."
The question has been raised whether the third point would not give too great an advantage to the Church, as your correspondent thinks it does; and at a meeting of Nonconformists it was resolved that a rider ought to be added, making it illegal for a teacher em- ployed in the secular instruction to give religious instruction in any other hours in the school building. But the League, as far as I am aware, has not modified this programme. It has always seemed to me a liberal proposal on the part of such a body, welt worthy to be met in a spirit of amicable consideration by the Denominationalist party.—I am, Sir, &c., J. Lt. D.
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