The Irish standard., 1906-04-07
CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Crisis in England. With an Off,
cial Statement of
che Church's Position as Re-
CARDS Education. .Rka5ss

&dFUS E0uC&LIO0s SY0Sc
The following is the full text of a
Statement of the Catholic Position
With Regard to Education" recently
issued by the educational council, a
body Of representatives of the sixteen
Catholic dioccses Of England and
Wales. The statement is issued in view
of the impending legislation in the pres
emit session of parliament:
~ That religion is an essential
factor in education; (2) that parents
have the duty and therefore the right
to educate their children in the re-
ligicn which they believe to be true;
60 that this wight is given by God,
not by the state and therefore cannot
be taken away by the state; (4) that
if the state establishes Il system of
compulsory education. such system
must not conflict with this inalienable
parental right and must allow children
to be educated according to the re-
ligious convictions of their parents;
(5) that while Catholics do not object
to the children Of parents who desire
it receiving So called "undenomina-
tional" instruction, they cannot in con-
science allow their children to receive
such instruction. since it is based on
principles essentially Protestant; co.
that the only education Catholic par
ents can accept for their children is a
Catholic education.
These are the principles that Catho-
lies have always proclaimed and al
ways acted upon; and faithfulness to
| their principles has entailed on them
| admitted on all hands to be poor; and
yet they have provided for their child
rem 100000 school places, of which
100000 have been provided since 1870.
| AT Il modest estimate of e1O per place,
this represents a capital outlay Of
| 100000 Moreover, they have paid
an enormous sum in voluntary sub
| scriptions for the maintenance Of Cath
Ole schools. And, in addition to these
crushing burdens, willingly undertaken
for conscience sake, they have been
compelled to pay rates for the erec-
ton and maintenance of board Of coun-
Gil schools, to which conscience for
babe them to scnd their children.
! Wherefore, to give practical shape to
| these principles, the Catholic educa-
ton council hereby resolve:
| Q That no settlement of the educa-
ton question can be accepted by Cath
olics which takes away from Catholic
parents their right (a) to have for their
children Cathcic schools, in which the
teachers shall be Catholics, and shall
give definite religious instruction UNI
der Catholic control during school
hours; (b) To have new Catholic
schools recognized and maintained, and
enlargement OF existing schools sane
toned where the needs of the Catholic
population SO demand. (2) That no
| settlement can be accepted which does
| not safeguard the Catholic character
of Catholic schools, either by retaining
the existing proportion and powers of
the foundation managers, or by some
equally effectual means. 90 That no
| settlement can DC accepted which does
not provide for the continuance and
maintenance Of the existing Catholic
training colleges and Catholic pupil
teacher centerS, and which does not
grant facilities for extending the means
Of giving Catholic training to Catholic
teachers. ca That any proposal to
lease, rent or assign Catholic schools
to the local education authority cannot
but be viewed with grave anxiety, and
that any such proposal which conflicts
| with their Catholic character must be
rejected