[To TUE EDITOR OE THE " SPECTATOR.") SIR,—I gladly respond
to your note on Mr. George Mac- millan's letter of May 19th appealing for co-operation amongst
laymen of the Church of England on the present education controversy.
I think that all that Churchmen can reasonably ask concerning Church of England elementary schools is that they may have permission to contract any of them out of the Act and return to the status quo ante 1902; but they will require some guarantee of a valid nature that the religious instruction given in these denominational school% will be according to the true doctrine of the Church of England as based on the Bible, set forth in the Articles of Religion,. Prayer-book, and Formularies, and not merely according to the whim or particular views of clerics. Failing such a guarantee, many of us would prefer to see our Church schools become provided schools rather than to run the risk of dogmas being inculcated which do not belong to the true doctrine of the Church of England.
With regard to provided schools, there ought to be no difficulty in Churchmen and Nonconformists coming to some agreement as to a form of religious teaching that will suit both sides, remem- bering that children before they are thirteen years of age should not be pestered with undue dogmatic teaching. Most parents will be quite satisfied if their children are taught as Christians to love God and keep His Commandments, and "all other things which a child ought to know to his soul's health." 'In the three amendments of Mr. Macmillan I concur. As to the learned views of Lord Halifax, Lord Hugh Cecil, and Mr. Athelstan Riley, they are but the views of a minute section of the Church of England who for the most part do not send their children to elementary schools.
I am convinced that parents will not be satisfied with ;my system of elementary education, in large towns, which does not admit of schools being graded by means of varying scales of fees, and have no doubt of the truth of the Dean of Ely's statement " that the gift of free schooling all round was a sheer piece of political stupidity." Free schooling requires also free washing and bathing if the children of all are to meet together on equal terms.
—I am, Sir, &c., ClIARLES WARREN.
10 Wellington Crescent, Ilamsgate.
Previous page
