Catholic schools 'safe with Labour

By JOE JENKINS
LABOUR THIS WEEK dismissed as "complete rubbish" claims by Church authorities that under a Labour government Catholic and Church of England schools would lose the right to select pupils.
The Bishops' Conference sent a memo to all Diocesan Schools' Commissioners in England and Wales, warning them about changes to schools admission policy, outlined by senior Labour local government spokesman Graham Lane.
The hierarchy promised "vigorous opposition" to any reforms which would transfer the administration of admissions policy to local education authorities.
Since the memo, leaked to the Daily Telegraph last week, Catholic Education Service director Margaret Smart has accepted the explanation by Shadow Education Minister, David Blunkett, that Mr Lane had spoken independently of the front bench, which set out official admissions policy in the 1995 statement, Diversiv and Excellence.
Although Mrs Smart said that she has had "very positive and constructive meetings" with both shadow and government ministers, she added: "We will be looking very closely at what all parties say in relation to Catholic education as we near the next election."
Connor Ryan, an aide to David Blunkett, confirmed this week that there would be "no change" if Labour gets into power.
He said that in the event of a Labour victory, Church schools would be free to continue with existing admissions policy, with reference, as today, to their local education authorities.
But he conceded that Labour would introduce a new, independent "mechanism" to arbitrate between diocesan school authorities and LEAs when disagreement over admissions arise.
Speaking on Radio Four's Sunday programme, David Blunkett said that labour had no plans of "disturbing" existing structures and that the only interference in denominational schools Labour would condone would be in raising standards.
He also defended Labour leader Tony Blair's decision to send a second son to the grant-maintained London Oratory school.
Mr Blunkett suggested that criticism of the Blairs' decision would be "an attack on Catholic parents having the right to send their children to a denominational school".