Over-flowing

schools
WHO WILL PAY FOR MORE BUILDINGS?
Catholic Herald Reporter FDUCATION experts this week expressed agreement with the examination of the Catholic grammar school crisis in last week's CATHOLIC HERALD.
Their general attitude was that the story had dealt with one of the major problems in the field of Catholic education and that the publicity given to it would arouse public interest in the extent and nature of the problems involved.
BISHOP
BISHOP BECK, chairman of the Catholic Education Council, said that the CATHOLIC HERALD analysis of the situation seemed to be the right one and the solutions recommended were, broadly speaking, correct.
He singled out for special emphasis the suggestion that more comprehensive or multi-lateral schools should be provided. "It is not, of course. the best solution." he said. "If it is possible it is better to have a separate grammar school where the numbers are large enough for it. But the multi-lateral or comprehensive school is a very good second solution if it means admitting pupils to grammar courses they would not otherwise he able to attend."
Bishop Beck said that in Burnley such a multi-lateral school was being built. It would provide a fiveform entry. two of which would be grammar-technical.
C.P.E.A. MAN
MIL OSWALD HEATH, a member of the Inter-Diocesan Council of the Catholic Parents' and Electors' Association. said that it should be becoming increasingly clear to Catholic parents that the likelihood of obtaining grammar school education depends not so much on their child's ability but to the availability of grammar school places in the area where they live.
Under the Greater London plan. each of some 30 authorities in the Greater London area might have to make arrangements for the children of their own area. The use of grammar school places outside the boundaries of each of these new authorities would then depend upon willingness to make the necessary financial and travelling arrangements. This would in turn depend upon the parents firmly expressing their wishes, and upon the organised pressure they could bring to bear.
"It is not sufficiently realised". said Mr. Heath. "that the 75 per cent grant towards the building of denominational schools (sanctioned by the 1959 Education Act) only refers to some schools; for instance, all new Catholic primary schools must he built at our entire cost. Added to this is the explosion in our Catholic birth rate figures, which it is estimated will account for all the increases in the school population after 1972."
In other words. all new schools built now could be 'filled by Catholic children. But who is going to pay for them?
"One practical part solution has been referred to in your article— the procuring of redundant maintained schools to our use. This practice will become increasingly necessary and important."
HEADMASTER
MR. G. H. G. SHURGOLD, headmaster of the Sacred Heart Catholic primary school. Wimbledon, said it was clear that more Catholic schools were needed, but the burden on Catholic population was so heavy already that it was time the whole system governing voluntary schools was revised.
It was far more difficult to estimate the need for Catholic places as the rise in Catholic population was not in line with the national average. For that reason, there should be a greater flexibility in interpreting the conditions governing Catholic schools as even
when governors or managers are willing to undertake work that will ease a particular difficulty they arc prevented by the regulations from doing so.
"I would strongly support your suggestion that Catholic parents of children who are border-line 11plus successes should send them to a Catholic secondary modern school if the only alternative is a place in a non-Catholic bilateral school offering a grammar course," Mr. Shurgold stated.
COUNCILLOR
COUNCILLOR JOHN BRANNIGAN, of the LCC Education sub-committee, agreed that the position was very serious. "It will be extremely difficult for us Catholics to maintain our separate identity by providing sufficient Catholic schools for our children in view of the great increase in the Catholic population and in the light of the limitations imposed by the 1959 Act." (This tied the provision of new Catholic grammar schools to the numbers of Catholic primary schoolchildren at that time.)
MINISTRY
A MINISTRY OF EDUCATION SPOKESMAN agreed that the lack of educational facilities was very disturbing. Building, he said, was "panting" behind the demand for places.
}lc supported the view expressed by a Westminster diocese education expert in last week's issue. that the burden was shifting from the secondary to the primary schools, and pointed out that the building programme was necessarily following this trend.
Asked about the placing of formerly undenominational county schools under religious control, he said that any question of a change in control was a matter for the governors of the school and the local education authorities concerned.