Orders of the Day — Education Bill

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 19 January 1944.

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Photo of Sir Patrick Hannon Sir Patrick Hannon , Birmingham Moseley

I would like to say at once how cordially I agree with my hon. Friend in his wholesome admonition that there should be no class war after the present struggle. May I also say how much we appreciated his pilgrimage to the public schools of this country, as a result of which he made a valuable contribution to our whole conception of education throughout the realm? I am glad to think that my hon. Friend is also interested in inducing my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Education to find the straw to make the bricks, which means the continuance of what are known as the non-provided schools. Having said that, may I congratulate the President of the Board of Education on the admirable work he has done in the production of this Bill? Believe me, the whole Catholic community of this land, with which I am in modesty identified, appreciates this work as much as any other community. The patience, the skill, the persistence, the diplomatic niceties with which the President of the Board of Education met every interest, the exchange of views, so gentle, so kindly, so touching, will always be in the mind of every one of us as a pleasant recollection of the highest standards of statesmanship in the history of the Board of Education. When the White Paper was produced the "Economist" made some austere criticism of my right hon. Friend's proposals. It may be useful to remind the House of the concluding paragraph of that criticism in a publication whose main function is to safeguard the public finances of this country: If Mr. Butler can, first, repair the omissions in his White Paper and, then, pilot through Parliament a Bill which unambiguously commits him and his successors, he will be, beyond question, the most effective President the Board has ever had. Until then, a certain scepticism will be in order. I cordially accept the full significance of that text. Until we see precisely how far my right hon. Friend will go in meeting the High Court of Parliament on the Committee stage and finding ways and means of conciliating interests profoundly affected by this Bill, we can reasonably entertain a little of the scepticism referred to by the "Economist."

I would like to say how much I regret that proposals for the recruitment of teachers on a broader and more concerted scale are absent from this Bill. My hon. Friend the Member for Norwich (Sir G. Shakespeare) said that the teachers can play the very greatest part in giving effect to the proposals of this Measure. The teachers have rendered magnificent service to the community, and one cannot deal with a Measure of this kind without paying the highest tribute to the loyalty and devotion of the teachers of this country. But I do not see what my right hon. Friend proposes to do in the next few years to fill the immense gap which must be filled before our local authorities can give administrative effect to this Measure.

Has my right hon. Friend seen a statement prepared by the education authority of the City of Birmingham? I think he will admit that the Birmingham education authority is one of the best in the country—I will not say the best, because I wish to be modest. The late chairman of the education authority of the City of Birmingham rendered conspicuous service to education in this country, as I think my right hon. Friend will agree, and his successor, Alderman Martineau, is also doing valuable work in helping to solve the problems which face us particularly in education and industry. Under Clause 10 of the Bill, the President of the Board of Education demands from local education authorities the preparation of schemes. Those schemes will be carefully examined by him, and they will be modified, rearranged, shortened, or whatever is necessary. Under Clause 11, if the scheme sent down by the Board of Education is not accepted by the education authority the authority has no right of appeal. I think the President should consider whether there ought not to be some right of appeal by the local education authority from the decision of the Board. We often say in this House that if we had continuity, with the same person at the head of a Department, we should be quite happy, but Ministers change. I hope that my right hon. Friend will enable me to tell my friends from the Birmingham education authority that this matter will have his consideration.

My right hon. Friend referred to the financial situation. I see my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall (Sir G. Schuster) present. When questions of finance arise I always turn to him, because he is the last word in financial respectability. I would ask the House to consider what really is meant by the financial proposals of this Bill. I think the whole position will be pretty safe in the hands of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but I believe the time is not very far ahead when the financial burden of all our post-war schemes of reconstruction will be so great, that it will be difficult to see from where the money is to come. In industrial centres, where the tax-paying community is being driven as hard as it can be driven, the financial aspects of the Bill are regarded as pretty serious. A valuable contribution has been made, in a statement from a number of leading industrialists, one of whom is my hon. Friend the Member for Walsall. In it there is a clear assurance that the industrial community of this country will support the Bill. As the productive effort of the country must find practically the whole of our taxation in future——