3 DOCUMENT I S THE PROPERTY OP HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT)
S E C R E T
C P . (50)
87
27TH A P R I L ,
COPY NO.
1950
CABINET
THE CHURCHES AND THE EDUCATION ACT.
Memorandum "by t h e M i n i s t e r
of
19kU
Education
Before the E l e c t i o n I c o n s u l t e d the Lord P r e s i d e n t ' s
C o m m i t t e e a b o u t t h e Roman C a t h o l i c H i e r a r c h y ' s c l a i m f o r
i n c r e a s e d p u b l i c a s s i s t a n c e f o r Roman C a t h o l i c s c h o o l s .
On 2 h t h
J u n e , 1 9 h 9 , t h e C o m m i t t e e c o n s i d e r e d my memorandum ( L . P . ( h 9 )
a n d s u p p o r t e d my v i e w t h a t we s h o u l d s t a n d "by t h e s e t t l e m e n t
embodied i n t h e E d u c a t i o n A c t , 19hh ( L . P . ( h 9 ) 1 3 t h M e e t i n g ,
Minute 6 ) .
In general the Opposition took a s i m i l a r l i n e .
2.
Since then I have i n s t i t u t e d a d m i n i s t r a t i v e measures,
about which I have been in c o n s u l t a t i o n with t h e H i e r a r c h y
and t h e C h u r c h of E n g l a n d , t o a l l e v i a t e what I u n d e r s t a n d t o
be t h e i r chief present a n x i e t i e s .
As t h e 19UU A c t s t a n d s
t h e M a n a g e r s o r G o v e r n o r s of a s c h o o l w h i c h d e s i r e s a i d e d
s t a t u s h a v e t o s a t i s f y me w i t h i n s i x m o n t h s o f my a p p r o v i n g
the l o c a l education a u t h o r i t y ' s development plan for the area
c o n c e r n e d t h a t t h e y a r e a b l e t o meet t h e i r s h a r e of t h e c o s t
of t h e n e c e s s a r y a l t e r a t i o n s and improvements t o t h e s c h o o l .
T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s t i m e l i m i t was t o e n s u r e t h a t t h e b e n e f i t s
of a i d e d s t a t u s would not b e a v a i l a b l e f o r s c h o o l s w h i c h had
n o r e a l p r o s p e c t of m e e t i n g t h e f u l l r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s o f t h a t
status.
3.
I t i s obvious t h a t development plans cannot be executed
a s q u i c k l y a s was e x p e c t e d w h e n t h e A c t w a s p a s s e d a n d v e r y
many o f t h e p r o j e c t s i n r e s p e c t of w h i c h t h e c h u r c h e s a r e
r e q u i r e d t o s a t i s f y me of t h e i r a b i l i t y t o r a i s e t h e i r s h a r e
o f t h e c o s t w i l l n o t b e i m p l e m e n t e d f o r a g o o d many y e a r s t o
come.
This leads to the s i t u a t i o n which,in his recent speech,
t h e A r c h b i s h o p of C a n t e r b u r y d e s c r i b e d as t h e c h u r c h e s h a v i n g
t o s a t i s f y me t h a t t h e y w i l l b e a b l e t o m e e t " a n u n a s c e r t a i n a b l e
l i a b i l i t y a t an u n a s c e r t a i n a b l e t i m e " .
k-.
I have, t h e r e f o r e , proposed to the churches t h a t I
s h o u l d a s s e s s a b i l i t y by r e f e r e n c e t o a s l i d i n g s c a l e .
In other
w o r d s I s h o u l d a p p l y p r o g r e s s i v e l y more l e n i e n t c r i t e r i a according
t o w h e t h e r t h e work i s l i k e l y t o b e d o n e w i t h i n t w o y e a r s , i n
u n d e r t e n y e a r s , or i n more t h a n t e n y e a r s ' t i m e .
I am n o t
u n h o p e f u l of b e i n g a b l e t o r e a c h a n a c c o m m o d a t i o n w i t h t h e
c h u r c h e s on t h i s p o i n t and t h i s i s as f a r as I p e r s o n a l l y
s h o u l d bo d i s p o s e d t o go.
5.
I r e a l i s e , however, t h a t the H i e r a r c h y have secured
g o o d d e a l of p u b l i c s u p p o r t f o r t h e i r c a s e .
Indeed, apart
from a s t a t e m e n t by t h e F r e e Church F e d e r a l C o u n c i l w h i c h
a
a t t r a c t e d l i t t l e n o t i c e , t h e Roman C a t h o l i c s ' c l a i m s h a v e
provoked s u r p r i s i n g l y l i t t l e o p p o s i t i o n from t h o s e q u a r t e r s
from w h i c h s u c h o p p o s i t i o n was t o h a v e b e e n e x p e c t e d .
I t was
d o u b t l e s s t h i s f a c t w h i c h l e d t h e A r c h b i s h o p of C a n t e r b u r y on
b e h a l f o f t h e C h u r c h o f E n g l a n d t o j o i n i n a s k i n g f o r some
a m e l i o r a t i o n of the p r e s e n t
difficulties.
6.
I n t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s my c o l l e a g u e s may f e e l d i s p o s e d
t o make a more s u b s t a n t i a l c o n c e s s i o n t o t h e c h u r c h e s .
This
w o u l d i n v o l v e a m e n d i n g l e g i s l a t i o n o n w h i c h i t w o u l d be a d v i s a b l e
t o s e c u r e t h e a g r e e m e n t of t h e o t h e r i n t e r e s t s c o n c e r n e d , n o t a b l y
t h e F r e e Churches,, t h e t e a c h e r s , t h e a s s o c i a t i o n s of l o c a l
e d u c a t i o n a u t h o r i t i e s and t h e T . U . C .
7.
Ho m e a s u r e w i l l s a t i s f y t h e H i e r a r c h y w h i c h d o e s n o t
r e l i e v e t h e Roman C a t h o l i c c o m m u n i t y o f t h e e n t i r e c o s t o f t h e i r
schools.
S u c h a r a d i c a l a l t e r a t i o n o f t h e l a w w o u l d i n my v i e w
be o b j e c t i o n a b l e i n p r i n c i p l e and u n a c c e p t a b l e t o p u b l i c o p i n i o n
as a whole.
I have a l r e a d y r e f e r r e d t o t h e F r e e C h u r c h e s '
o p p o s i t i o n t o the H i e r a r c h y ' s more e x t r e m e c l a i m s and I would
a l s o o b s e r v e t h a t t h e A r c h b i s h o p of C a n t e r b u r y i n h i s s t a t e m e n t
was a t p a i n s t o make c l e a r t h a t t h e C h u r c h of E n g l a n d i s p r e p a r e d
t o a b i d e l o y a l l y by t h e 19M+ s e t t l e m e n t .
T h e r e i s i n f a c t no
r e a l e v i d e n c e t o show t h a t t h e . c o s t o f i m p l e m e n t i n g t h e o b l i g a t i o n s
w h i c h u n d e r t h e e x i s t i n g l a w a r e l i k e l y t o f a l l on t h e c h u r c h e s
i s so c r u s h i n g or i n t o l e r a b l e as the H i e r a r c h y s u g g e s t .
Over 2000
c h u r c h s c h o o l s have a l r e a d y had t h e i r s t a t u s s e t t l e d .
Not
o n e e x i s t i n g Roman C a t h o l i c s c h o o l h a s f a i l e d t o a c h i e v e a i d e d
s t a t u s , w h i l e t h e p r o p o r t i o n of C h u r c h of E n g l a n d s c h o o l s
a c h i e v i n g a i d e d s t a t u s i s h i g h e r t h a n was e x p e c t e d .
The t r u t h , i s ,
I s u s p e c t , t h a t t h e H i e r a r c h y do. n o t w i s h t o p u t t h e m s e l v e s i n a
p o s i t i o n w h e r e , h a v i n g s a t i s f i e d me of t h e i r a b i l i t y i n e v e r y c a s e ,
l o g i c a l l y . t h e y c o u l d no l o n g e r p r o t e s t t h e i r i n a b i l i t y t o m e e t t h e
o b l i g a t i o n s l a i d upon them by t h e 19hh A c t .
8.
A c c e p t i n g , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t no a l t e r a t i o n s h o u l d be made
i n t h e 19hh s e t t l e m e n t which would h a v e t h e e f f e c t of i n c r e a s i n g
g r a n t s from p u b l i c f u n d s i n r e s p e c t of e x i s t i n g c h u r c h s c h o o l s
o r o f a s s i s t i n g t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f new c h u r c h s c h o o l s , a m e n d i n g
l e g i s l a t i o n might take the f o l l o w i n g f o r m : D e n o m i n a t i o n a l s c h o o l s which have n o t y e t become a i d e d
o r c o n t r o l l e d m i g h t be g i v e n a t h i r d o p t i o n , n a m e l y ,
p r o v i s i o n a l aided s t a t u s .
T h i s would c a r r y w i t h i t most
of t h e p r e s e n t a d v a n t a g e s of a i d e d s t a t u s (50 p e r c e n t
g r a n t from t h e E x c h e q u e r t o w a r d s t h e c o s t of e x t e r n a l
r e p a i r s and such u r g e n t i m p r o v e m e n t s to the s c h o o l
b u i l d i n g s a s may b e r e q u i r e d b y t h e l o c a l e d u c a t i o n
a u t h o r i t y from time to t i m e ;
the appointment
f teachers
by t h e managers or g o v e r n o r s , as a t p r e s e n t ;
and t h e g i v i n g
of denominational r e l i g i o u s i n s t r u c t i o n without r e s t r i c t i o n . )
To s e c u r e p r o v i s i o n a l a i d e d s t a t u s t h e m a n a g e r s o r g o v e r n o r s
w o u l d h a v e t o s a t i s f y me o n l y t h a t t h e y w e r e a b l e t o m e e t
t h e i r s h a r e of t h e e s t i m a t e d a n n u a l c o s t s of e x t e r n a l r e p a i r s
a n d , from t i m e t o t i m e , of s u c h u r g e n t i m p r o v e m e n t s a s m i g h t
be r e q u i r e d .
When t h e t i m e came when t h e l o c a l e d u c a t i o n
a u t h o r i t y ( s u b j e c t t o an a p p e a l t o myself) c o u l d
r e a s o n a b l y r e q u i r e t h e b u i l d i n g s t o be b r o u g h t f u l l y u p t o
s t a n d a r d , t h e m a n a g e r s c o u l d e i t h e r s a t i s f y me o f t h e i r
a b i l i t y t o m e e t h a l f t h e c o s t and a c q u i r e s u b s t a n t i v e a i d e d
s t a t u s or a l l o w t h e s c h o o l t o become c o n t r o l l e d .
P r o v i s i o n a l a i d e d s t a t u s c o u l d become s u b s t a n t i v e a t a n y
t i m e i f t h e m a n a g e r s o r g o v e r n o r s s a t i s f i e d me o f t h e i r
e v e n t u a l c a p a c i t y to meet t h e i r u l t i m a t e o b l i g a t i o n s .
D
To s a t i s f y t h e F r e e C h u r c h e s , i t w o u l d "be n e c e s s a r y
for church schools i n s i n g l e school areas t o remain
s u b j e c t t o t h e e x i s t i n g law andhave o n l y two o p t i o n s ,
c o n t r o l l e d or s u b s t a n t i v e aided s t a t u s .
Such a r e s t r i c t i o n
w o u l d n o t , I b e l i e v e , b e u n a c c e p t a b l e t o t h e Roman
C a t h o l i c s (who h a v e v e r y f e w s u c h s c h o o l s ) o r t o t h e
C h u r c h o f E n g l a n d , who h a v e a l w a y s r e c o g n i s e d t h a t t h e s e
schools present a s p e c i a l problem.
9.
Such a p r o p o s a l should not e n t a i l a d d i t i o n a l p u b l i c
expenditure.
On t h e c o n t r a r y , s i n c e a n u m b e r o f C h u r c h o f
England s c h o o l s would p r o b a b l y seek p r o v i s i o n a l aided s t a t u s
which would o t h e r w i s e have become c o n t r o l l e d (and so have
a l l t h e i r e x p e n s e s met o u t of p u b l i c f u n d s ) , t h e r e s h o u l d be
an a p p r e c i a b l e , though not s u b s t a n t i a l , s a v i n g which would
b e n e f i t l o c a l r a t e s more t h a n Exchequer f u n d s .
10.
E v e n i f my c o l l e a g u e s s h a r e my v i e w t h a t we s h o u l d go no
f u r t h e r than the a d m i n i s t r a t i v e measures I have o u t l i n e d in
p a r a g r a p h U I s h o u l d n e v e r t h e l e s s l i k e t h e i r views on t h e
s u g g e s t i o n t h a t , i f t h e O p p o s i t i o n i n t e n d t o h o l d o u t any
p o s s i b i l i t y of a m e n d i n g l e g i s l a t i o n , I s h o u l d b e f r e e t o r e f e r
i n g u a r d e d t e r m s t o t h e amendment I h a v e o u t l i n e d i n p a r a g r a p h
8 , m a k i n g i t c l e a r , o f c o u r s e , t h a t t h e a g r e e m e n t of t h e
v a r i o u s i n t e r e s t s concerned would be n e c e s s a r y .
t
11.
To sum u p , I p e r s o n a l l y w o u l d l i m i t a c t i o n t o
administrative measures.
I n v i e w , h o w e v e r , of t h e sympathy
e v i n c e d f o r t h e c h u r c h e s p o i n t of v i e w ( a n d of t h e p o l i t i c a l
d i s a d v a n t a g e s w h i c h we m i g h t s u f f e r i f we l e t t h e O p p o s i t i o n
make t h e r u n n i n g ) I w o u l d b e r e a d y t o s p o n s o r a l i m i t e d
amendment of t h e A c t , and I s h o u l d l i k e t o b e f r e e , i f
necessary, to refer to this p o s s i b i l i t y during the forthcoming
d e b a t e o n my D e p a r t m e n t s e s t i m a t e s .
1
1
C-.T.
Ministry
of
Education
27TH A P R I L , 1 9 5 0 .