Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-02
Catholics in Britain
CHARGE School Aid Use
As Gag by Laborites
By the Associated Press

~ wv USsottA'Cd Eicss
LONDON, Dec. "A battle be-
tween the Roman Catholic Church
and Britain's Labor government
has broken out over the issue of
government aid for church schools.
The Catholic hierarchy of Eng
land and Wales has accused the,
government of trying to gag the
church with threats to cut off
state financial aid.
A spokesman of the Ministry OF
Education replied that Catholics
are trying to tap the public
treasury in a way which amounts
to the state providing all the
money while the Catholics keep
all the control"
Some Parallel With U. S.
While there is a parallel be-
tween the British situation and
the recent arguments in the Unit
ed States over Federal aid to
parochial schools, the situations
are not exactly the same. The
Catholic church in the United
States has insisted that the in
clusion of Catholic school chill
dren in government aid to edu-
cation did not violate the Amer
lean principle of separation Of
church and state. The American
church attacked proposed legisla-
ton restricting the use of Federal
funds as "un-American anti
Catholic legislation"
However, in Britain the teachers
of church schools, including priests
and nuns, already are paid from
tax money, which also provides
operating expenses.
The issue in Britain arose in this
way:
Britain's 1914 Education Act re-
quires all schools to meet certain
minimum building standards. 1t
estimated the cost of improving
Catholic schools at f10,000,000 |
($28, 100000. The Roman Cath
Ollie bishops of England say the
required outlay would be closer to
EGO, 600, 900 ($168, 100000 and that
the church cannot afford it.
Bishops Propose Lease. -, |
The bishops have proposed that
local education authorities take
over the church schools under
lease and make improvements
from public funds. In return they
would let local authorities appoint
teaching staffs-subject to church
approval.
An Education Ministry spokes-
man said: ANY attempt to deal
with problems facing sectional in
terest would undoubtedly run the
risk of destroying the foundation
of good will and cooperation
which has been built up since 1943.
The discussions at that time made
1t only too apparent that strong
views were held by other interests
who were opposed to the .continu-
ance Of any UNCONVENTIONAL in
terest in angsof the nations
schools" y
The spokesman said non-Catho-
lie teachers commended during
hearings on the 1914 act that
church and state schools should
go separate ways.
The Roman Catholic hierarchyi
retorted: Z q
This is like a warning given to
q prisoner ALREADY condemned,
that if he appeals he stands
very good chance of getting his
sentence increased. We already
are penalized and we are told that
If we press for justice we may SUI
fer further"
State Pays Expenses.
There are 1929 Catholic schools
In Britain with 375,732 students.
The Church of England has e,104
schools, the Methodists lit and
other churches a total of 461.
Whatever the denomination, the
state pays running expenses and
the churches provide the build |
ings. There are 16,479 monde
nominational schools wholly
financed with public money, serv-
ing 3,904,168 students.
Most of the Catholic church
schools are old buildings requiring
much repair work. The Catholic
hierarchy insists these have a
right to tax money Ito which
Catholics make their fair con-
tribution." The regulations on
buildings apply equally to all de-
nominations, but the dominant
Church of England is much
weather..
There has been no objection to
the building regulations as such.
u.., n,.k,, hnno;n3od