The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria

The Practical Question for Churchmen. The Bishop of St. Asaph's "Nineteenth Century" Article. THE Bishop of St. Asaph, in his Nineteenth Century" article on educational concordats, starts with the recognition that irretrievable injury will ensue if the present strife continues, and that the Education Act of 1902 has aroused an opposition which, although varying in intensity, is almost unexampled in its extent. The really formidable objections to the Act come, however, in his opinion, from moderate men who, without dis- tinction of party make educational efficiency the first consideration. The Bishop claims that tha Parliamentary and extra-Parliamentary discus- sions on the Act have made two facts clear—(1) that the people of this country will not have a secular system of education (2) that they are determined to make the national system of educa- tion as efficient as possible. Dr Edwards reviews the negotiations in refer- ence to the proposed Welsh concordat, and then proceeds to state the Nonconformist grievances under the present system. Admitting that the present Act intensifies the old grievance by mak- ing the Voluntary schools rate-aided, he proceeds:— Two grievances, however, surpass all others in their magnitude and prominence in every Non- conformist discussion on the Education Act. The first is the retention of a religious test for head teachers the second is the question of public control. I desire to state the facts fully and frankly on both these points. There are 31,026 certificated head teachers in the public elementary schools of England and Wales. Of that number 10,919 are employed in Board schools, 16,144 in Church of England schools, and 3,963 in other denominational schools. Now, the broad fact stands out that 20,107 cer- tificated head teachers out of a total number of 31,026 are employed in denominational schools. Putting the case in another way, the head teachers in our elementary schools are now for all practical purposes Civil servants, and the Act of 1902 leaves unaltered the fact that two out of every.three head teacherships are subject to a religious test. I only wish to state this fact with- out comment. Then there is the second and the greatest grievance of all. The demand for public control in the non-provided or Voluntary schools is urged upon the principle that the measure of public control must be commensurate with the contributions made from public funds. Of the total cost of maintenance for each child in average attendance in the Voluntary schools 37.7 per cent came from public funds in the year 1869. This had risen in 1879 to 44.2 per cent, in 1889 to 47.7, in 1899 77.6 per cent. In the year 1904 the contribution will be over 90 per cent. It must be at once granted in the face of these facts that the control cannot remain where it was in 1869. There is already public control, of which none complain, but the present demand is that the local management should be local public control. I do not desire to oppose this contention, but it may be reasonably asked why, for the pur- poses of control, the difference between rates and taxes should be obliterated in this connection and emphasised in another, and the ratepayer claim for his representatives what in many cases may be a disproportionate share of control ? But let this point be waived, and for the sake of peace,, let it be granted that there must be public control through and through, and that theoretically private management is indefensible, and that public control, locally and imperially, is symmet- rical and less opep to criticism. Only let it be remembered that it is on these general grounds, and not always that of financial equity, that the ratepayers can claim to be the predominant partner. Voluntary School Grievances. Speaking of the grievances of Voluntary schools, and after pointing out the large expenditure of Churchmen on their schools, trusting to the settlement of 1870, the Bishop says Practically the compromise has worked in this way, The rates and taxes have paid for the teaching of the School Board religion, and the Church schools have paid for their own. For thirty-three years an undogmatio religion approved by the Nonconformists has been taught at the public expense in public elementary schools of this country. The State in the Cowper-Temple clause, more brief but not less binding than the Thirty-nine Articles, defined this School Board religion and established and endowed its teachers. For thirty-nine years this compromise—call it, if you like, concurrent endowment—has worked fairly well. Under the plea of public control and the grievance of rate aid a demand is now being made to force this School Board religion upon all the schools of the country, or to exclude all religion. The Free Churches, we are told, are opposed to any dogmatic teaching whatever. It is, then, abundantly evident that while Churchmen are asked to give up the control of their Voluntary schools they are not to be offered frpedom and toleration; they are not even to be allowed to provide at their own expense for the teaching of their own children in their own faith. Looking from thase considerations to a practical policy for the future, Dr Edwards sees no pros- pect of extending the Voluntary school system under the Act of 1902. If that is so (he proceeds), the Church of England will be left with her own non-progressive system, and, as a penalty for this possession, she will be permanently shut out from teaching her own children in the provided schools. The practical question, then, for Church men is this -Is it better to retain our own schools, where we can teach some of our children in our own way, or to accept a compromise which would give us the right (I assume that no other compromise has any chance of acceptance in this country) of pro- viding religious instruction for our own children in our own faith in every public elementary school in the country ? The acceptance of the latter alternative would, I believe, greatly pro- mote the cause of religious instruction in what are now provided schools, where the adoption of such a syllabus as that of the London School Board would under the new conditions probably meet with no opposition. The practical working of such a compromise does not seem beset with great difficulties. The general syllabus of relig- ious instruction would be taught in all schools on four days, and on one day there would-be facilities for unrestricted religious teaching. Under this plan every denomination would have the right to provide for the religious instruction of their own faith, at their own cost. All the Voluntary schools would then become provided schools, either by sale or lease. What is the great obstacle to such a plan as this ?

Bishop Edwards's Educational Concordat. Terms of.-the Colonial Plan. IN view of the reference made elsewhere to the Bishop of St. Asaph's proposals for an educa- tional 'settlement on the colonial plan, it may be useful to explain what that plan is. The gen- eral idea of it is to give unsectarian religious teaching (which becomes in practice purely- his- torical teaching) as a part of the ordinary school curriculum, and in addition ito allow the deno- minations to provide denominational teaching fo:r their own children. The details may vary somewhat in different colonies., but generally the fundamental principle is the same. In the New South Wales Public Education Act, 1880, there. are two clauses' bearing on the subject. Clause 7 deals with secular instruction:- "In all schools under this Act the, teaching shall be strictly non-sectarian, bult the words 's,eculan instruction' shall be held to include general religious teaching as distinguished1 from dogmatical o:r polemical theology, and lessons ,in the hlistory of England and in the history of I y Aus:trahashall form part of the course of secu- lar instruction." The following two clauses contain the regula- tions relating to denominational teach-i-nig!: — "17. In every public school four hOUIISI during -each school-day ,shall be devoted to secular in- struction exclusively, and a poitrion, of each day, not more than one hour, shall be set apart when the children of any one religious persuasion may be ins-trucbed by the. clergyman or other religous teacher of such persuasion, but in .all cases, the pupils receiving such religious, instruction shall be separated from the other pupils of the school. And the hour during which such religious in- struction may be. given shall be fixed by mutual agreement between the public School Board in consultation with the teacher of such school and the clergyman of the district, or such other person as may ,bè duly authorised to act in his stead, and any classroom of any public school may be used for such religious instruction by like .agrreemenit. Provided that if two or more clergymen of different persuasions d,esier to give y religious instruction at any school the' children clergymen of different persuasions desire to give of each such different persuasions shall be so instructed on different days. Provided also that the religious instruction -to be so given shall in every case be the religious instruction authorised by the Church to which the clergyman or otner religious teacher may belong. Provided, further, that in case of the non-attendance of any clergyman or religious, teache,r during any portion of the period ageed to be set apart for religious instruction such period 'shall be de- voted to the ordinary secular i,iistrue-t-.io-n in such school." "18. -Nothiwith standinig anything to the con- trary in the last precedintg section, -aio,. pupil in a public school shall be required to receive any general or special instruction if the parents or guardians of such pupil objects to such religious instruction, being given." In the colonies the plan would work muchr more simply 'than here, because there in many cases religious parties are1 divided! broadly into Roman Catholic and Protestant, while hare tue divisions are more numerous. The Bishop's proposals are very similar to those which were recently offered as. a basis of settlement, by the Welsh Liberal members, to Welsh, Churchmen, but which were 'noltaicoept'ed: -On the Church side the concession^ would consist in the sub- mission) .of public control and the surrender—a most important point—of the right, toO appoint the head teachers. On the other side, there would be the opening of all schools, under cer- tain conditions, to denominational instruction by denominational representatives. The "right of entry," as it is called, would probably not be ,altogether agreeable to Nonconformists, but in order to secure peace Dr. Horton and others are prepared to allow it, and, in view of substantial concessions on the .other side, the general body of Nonconformist si might possibly follow thieir example. It will be seen itbat in the New South Wales Act clause 18 meets the case of parents who dio not desire their children, to receive de- nominational instruction.

"The Sentiments of an Insignificant Combative Cleric." THE SITUATION IN ANGLESEY. At a meeting of the Anglesey Education Com- naittele at Llangefni on. Friday last, the Clerk (Mr R. H. Williams) read some correspondence that had passed, between him and the. Rev. J. D. Jones, the rector of Penmon. Mr Williams explained that he had written to the rector for Form 9, and the latter had repliedl giving further particulars, and' then went on to say:—"It has always been my endeavour to make. ;Ehe, National School as 'efficient' as pos- sible, and if I find that my efforts, made with the approval of the. inspector, are regarded by your Education/Committee as so much Church efforts which must be at once demolished, it will take me a long time before I regard the 'Noncon- formist conscience' as anything but a cloak for persecution." To this the Clerk rep,li.ed :I venture to as- serit that the Education Committee has. so far done nothing to justify an insinuation that they would like to 'demolish' educational work dlone by Church people." In a subsequent letter the rector asked1 what could such policy mean if it was not a desire tb "demolish" educational work done by the Church people. lIe sa:id:l repeat the statement that all this is nothing but persecution of the Church." S Mr Lewis Hughes (Amlwch) moved t'har while I approving of the action of the- clerk, the letters should be left on the table, and that the com- mittee should assert that it declines to entertain any sentiments of an insignificant combative cleric of this calibre. (Laughter.) This was carried nem. con.'

County Council Vacancy. Meeting at Roe wen. Dr. Morgan, of Conway, Selected. A REPRESENTATIVE meeting of Liberals was, held at, Roewieni on Saturday- evening to choose a C, candidate to represent' ithe •district on the County Council. The Rev O. G. Williams, Roewen, was, vOited .tOI the chair., and' gave- a rousing address, in which he emphasised the importance of all Liberals coming out and. doting their dulty, at the present juncture. He said that it reflected very unfavourably 011 the Liberals of the district that they should allow a, majority of Conservatives Ito represent them on the Board of Guardians andi the Painisih Council. The present education controversy made it incumbent on every Liberal to come ouit and fight the battle of religious equality. lie might be that, 41n the battle we are beginning again, 'to' fight the haJtotle of Disestab- lishment in Wales. Mr Hugh Owen then addressed the meeting, and expl,a.inedi th:at, owing to a. technicality, he was at present not eligible to stand as :a candi- date for the County Council. 'He gave a shard account of the way the County Council are car- rying out the provisions of the Educatiom Aclt, 'and spoke very strongly on the importance 0 having .a large Liberal majority on the- CouttO- when the Governmenit were making such effort to stamp Nonconformity oult of the couffl* try. Mr Ben Fisher, in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to, Hugh. Owen! for his splendid1 ser- vices oni -the .Council during the last 15 yearb, said :thait a,-Il were very sorry that circumstance3" prevented him from! continuing, in office. Mr D. Davies, Llwyn Onn, seconded the pro- J posal, which was carried with acclamation:. Mr H. Davies next explained the step whichi *> had previously been. taken towards securing a. ■ candidate, and that Dr Miorgan, Conway, had allowed' his name, to be placed before the meet- in g. fi Mr Ben Fisher said that Dr Morgan was. sot f well known to all present that it was uinneces* „ ( sary to ask himi to state his opinions to t11iØ meeting, a-nd, that it .gave him great pleasure to propose tlhalt 'he be sôlected as their candidate. Mr Davieis, in seconding, said that Dr Morgan was, a Liberal to. the backbone. Mr TlugjhOwen, also stated that ithey would1 very fortunate if they could get such a candidate as. Dr 'Morgan, that he had proved himself a staunch Liberal and! hard worker on severéliL public bodies. The proposal wa,si carried with enthusiasm. Dr Morgan was now called in, and informed of the result, and on 'the motion of (the Chair- man., fthe meeting pledged itself to do its ultmos-t to secure his return should an opponent corn" liruto. the field. Dr Morgan, in thanking the meeting for selection, .said he was not afraid of the figllt, and trusted Ithey would come out triumphantly* He ,also emphasised the, importance of all Lib- erals- being -uip and doing ,ait the present time. A strong executive committee, was appointed', and arrangements made for local committees ill the different piaIltsl of the eUadtorate.

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