Welsh Journals

The Scheme 2 was adopted, undenominational- ism was to be preferred, and Churchmen were to be coerced. Let nobody run away with the idea that undenominationalism is unsectarian. On the contrary, it is one of three contending sects in education. The only true unsectarian system is Scheme 4, which gives no preference, and applies no coercion to anybody whatsoever. The significance of the inequality proposed will be better understood, if the position of Church- men and Nonconformists be reversed under the concordat proposals. What would then happen? (1) The form of religious teaching, desired by Churchmen, would be established by the State, and endowed by the rates, while that preferred by Nonconformists would be abso- lutely forbidden in the same schools even at Nonconformist cost. (2) Nonconformists, after being condemned to build schools at great sacrifices in order to secure religious liberty for their own children in the home of their own schools, would wake up to find those very schools had been trans- ferred to the L.E.A., not only for a pepper- corn rent, but for less than a peppercorn security for their dearly bought religious liberty in the schools of the future. No Churchman, worthy of his name, would tolerate such injustice to his Nonconformist brethren. And yet this is the very species of in- equality that the concordat proposes for Church- men. No such glaring injustice, whether to Churchmen or Nonconformists, can ever bring peace. No ECONOMY. Some urge the acceptance of the Welsh con- cordat on account of economy to Churchpeople, others on account of economy to the ratepayers. You cannot, however, have it both ways. If Churchpeople are relieved of the annual cost of structural repairs, new classrooms, etc., the rate- payers must shoulder the burden. Ratepayers who think that the suppression of Church schools will save the rates, must be very ignorant of the comparative cost of Church and Council schools to the rates. Let me give a few facts gathered from the "Carnarvonshire Abstract of Accounts, 1920-21. Cost to the Carnarvonshire ratepayers for one year:- Land and Buildings 140 0 0 0 0 0 Rents 380 5 1 0 0 0 Income Tax 39 9 8 0 0 0 Debt Repayment 6752 18 7 0 0 0 Interest 4417 10 2 0 0 0 Total £ 11,730 3 6 0 0 0 In addition to these figures, there is a very heavy item for land, buildings and repairs, viz., £ 6,586 lls 5d, which I am prevented tabulating with the above, because the "Repairs" probably Council Church Schools. Schools. £ s d £ s d include small sums for "Wear and tear," and half tht cost of painting, in the case of Church schools. Churchmen, too, have to find money to pay rates and insurance for teachers' houses, school lands, water rent, etc. Here is another figure suggestive how Church schools save the rates DEBT OF THE CARNARVONSHIRE RATEPAYERS. On account of Council school s-;612,3,144 19 41 On account of Church schools — £ 0 Os Od. The debt of the ratepayers of Wales, on account of Council schools, requires an annual expenditure of £ 285,084 14s 4d from the pockets of the rate- payers for "loan charges" (see "Statistics of the L.E.A. for 1918-19, page 6"). The capital debt, I reckon, amounts to millions The debt and annual expenditure on account of these items in regard to Church schools in Wales amount exactly to £ 0 Os. Od. There can be no dispute about these figures, because it is fixed by statute that no public money can go towards the capital expenditure of Church schools. RELIGIOUS TEACHING IN COUNCIL SCHOOLS. Is the proposed concordat necessary to secure religious teaching in Council schools? Do the advocates of the concordat really mean to say that, unless we give up Church schools, Noncon- formists, in spite of their anxious desire to give Christian instruction, will actually withhold this -their "daily bread"-from children in Council schools? I think better of Nonconformists than that. I believe Nonconformist leaders, alarmed at the spread of secularism and materialism, are convinced that the time has come to secure Christian teaching in all Council schools, concor- dat or no concordat, and that further delay would be treason to the child and to the nation. The question of religious teaching in Council schools ought not to be confounded with quite another matter. It is a question by itself, and should be decided on its own merits. And yet advocates of this concordat talk as if Church schools were some bar to religious instruction in Council schools. On the contrary, the proximity of a Church school has been helpful towards recovering more Bible teaching in the rival school. If Nonconformists desire the fear of God, and the love of Christ to leaven the children's educa- tion, the road is open to them. The children need it. The parents wish it. And there is not a single statute in their way. Even under the Cowper-Temple clause, the religious teaching out- lined in the concordat can be given whole and un- defiled in every Council school to-morrow. As a matter of fact, the desire among parents for better Christian teaching in Council schools is widespread and increasing. Why not then turn this concord into a concordat? The Noncon- formist majority on the L.E.A. in any county can authorise it to-morrow. If so, and it is so, we have a right to ask what do Churchmen gain in return for their surrender