EDUCATION BILL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 131, 26 February 1908, Page 7

EDUCATION BILL.

DOUBTFUL RECEPTION.

ATTITUDE OF NONCONFORMISTS. BY TELEGRAPH —MESS ASSOCIATION —COPYHIGHT. (Eeo. Feb. 25, 10.35. p.m.) 1 London, February 25. Mr. M'Kcnna, President of tho Board of Education, mado an appeal for sympathy and tho abandonment of partisanship in introducing his Education Bill. 1 Tho Bill gives State aid exclusively to tho Couueil typo of schools, which liavo teachers appointed, without religious tests. No Stato aid is given to voluntary schools. In single school areas attendance at any voluntary school is non-compulsory if the parents object. These parents may choose a local authority, school. In the event of the trustees of a voluntary school being unablo to continue, they must transfer the school to a local authority, which must facilitate denominational instruction outside' school hours.

Voluntary schools recover tho right to chargo fees. Mr. Balfour, Leader of the Opposition, derided the idea that tho Bill would bring peace. Ho declared that it inflicted injustico on parents in ■ country areas and on tho managers of voluntary schools., As regards tho towns, it destroyed tho great' work commenced in '1903. • Mr. Asquith, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said that no other solution of tho troublo was possiblo. ~ , Nonconformist njombers 'of tho Houso of Commons accorded tho Education Bill a somewhat 'lukewarm reception, Mr. Porks suggesting the reconsideration of tho urban clauses. ■ Tho Nationalists aro strenuously non-com-mittal with regard to tho measure.