BARKING PARENTS WIN BATTLE FOR SCHOOLS

By a Staff Reporter Catholic parents, who have been on strike in the Barking area for the past six months, have won their battle. Extra accommodation has now keen allotted by the local authorities to St. Ethelburga's Secondary School, Barking.
The dispute arose in the first instance over the refusal of the local authorities to accept more pupils in the St. Ethelburga's school. The parents, of the opinion that accommodation did exist, went on strike, without any prompting from the diocesan authorities or
local clergy.
As there is no other Catholic Secondary School in the area, the refusal meant that Catholic children would have to attend non-Catholic schools if they were
to be educated.. The parents insisted only on a Catholic Education for their children.
Altogether, it is estiniated that 50 children were affected by the strike, but threats of prosecution for the non-attendance of their children, as well as the difficulty of keeping their children at home, led some parents to give in. A few children have been attending nonCatholic schools.
In January this year, Cardinal Griffin, Pothbishop of Westminster, and Mgr. Doubleday, Bishop of Brentwood, appointed Mgr. O'Grady, the Vicar General, to deal with the dispute with the local education committee, anti unqualified support was given by the diocesan authorities to the protesting parents.
PARENTS ACCEPT
At a meeting held in Rainhttm Parish Hall on Thursday last, Mgr, 0-Grady, V.0,, announced to the assembled parents that the Barking Committee for Education had agreed to allow, for the purpose of giving the children a Catholic Secondary Education, the use of three extra classrooms.
One classroom is in the Northbury School Building; the other two in the Ripple School Building, and no additional rent is required. These three rooms. all in the Barking Borough, are to be for the use of the Managers of St. Ethelburga's Secondary School.
After a lengthy discussion. it was resolved by the parents to accept the offer of the Barking Education Committee. Two of the classrooms will he ready for use on Monday, April 12.
The Parents Protest Committee urge all parents to register their children with the Ileadmaster of St. Ethelburga's, at the Northbury School Building, on Monday next, and to make this known to the Headmaster of the County Secondary School, where some children may have been temporary pupils.
One of the members of the Parents, Protest Committee, Mrs. McGuire, of St. Peter's, Dagenham, died at Romford on the day that a settlement was announced.
NEW CHAPLAIN FOR SOUTHWARK TRADE UNIONISTS
From our Own Correspondent
At the meeting of the Southwark Diocesan Association of Catholic Trade Unionists, which took place on Saturday last, the Chairman (Mr. B. Denore) introduced the Rev. E. Gilligan of Deptford, who has been appointed by Mgr. Amigo, Archbishop, Bishop of Southwark, to be Spiritual Adviser to the Association in the place of the Rev. I. Furey.
It was announced that new branches were being formed at Brixton, Catford, Crayford, Greenwich, and Petts Wood.
The next meeting of the Southwark Diocesan Association will take place on May 1 at 36, Altenburg Gardens, and it will be an open meeting for all members and their friends and relations. There will be a short Delegates meeting at 2.30 p.m, followed by a talk by Fr. Paul Crane, S.J., of the Catholic Social Guild,