EDUCATION ACT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1831, 11 August 1906, Page 2

EDUCATION ACT.

A 11 BOMBSHELL.”

PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT London, August 9. Several journals suggest that a simple Bill Bhould be introduced, separating religious and secular eduoation, and altering the proportion of managers. The Daily News says the decision of tha Appeal Court majority compares in ini' portance with the Taff Yale case, aud justifies up to the hilt the passive resistanoo campaign. An appeal to the House of Lords will probably be made, with but faint prospect of reversal. The Court of Appeal has not abolished the Noneinformist grievance entirely, but has laid tha foundation of a settlement which only requires a short and simple Bill to make it far more satisfactory than Mr Birreff’s rather labored compromise. Tho Daily Chronicle says the judgment is a bombshell, and implies that what tbs Government’s Eduoation Bill of 1906 seeks laboriously to do was done under the Act of 1902. The Daily Mail says the decision emphasises the evils of bad draftmanship. The Times says the decision, coming with the authority of two of the most able aud learned j idges, upsets the views almost universally held regarding the meaning of the Act. The Government might consider the advisability of accepting tha decision as the basis of a compromise for tha thorny question of denominations, and then eesily raise the sum required for denominational instruction.

The Appeal Couit judgment holds that the educational authority is not liable unless it baa control over denominational teaohing and the power to teat it. Tho only control given in unprovided sohoola is restricting to secular instruction. Firstly, the Act imposing the duty of maintaining and keeping schools efficient gives control of all expenditure required for that purpose. ' Secondly, it did not Ire. peal the section of the Act of 1870. whioh declares the inclusion or exclusion of reinstruction has nothing to do with the efficiency of schools ; hence the duty to Jssßp the schools efficient and oontrol expenditure is coextensive.