Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

10 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

dUI>, CORRESPONDENCE.

BARRY WORKING-MEN'S INSTITUTE.

BARRY "PROGRESSIVES" AND «…

THE EDUCATION POLICY OF THE…

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THE EDUCATION POLICY OF THE BARRY COUNCIL. Wo the Editor of the BARRY DOCK NEWS." DEAR SIR,-The education question just now is uppermost, and is causing much discussion. Can I venture to discuss the action of a section of our Education Authority without being charged with personalities 1 We do not attack the person but his principle nor do we care a jot about the private when we discuss the public man. Surely our friends will understand this ground of contro- versy, and enjoy public criticism equally with public approval; if not, then they are not fit to hold any public position at all. The present method adopted is the dividing line. With the so- ,called (rather self-called) Progressives I am at one in their determination to get the Education Act in its present form repealed; but I, and others, are not with them in the method they adopt. When it was a question of Passive Resistance" only, they who elected to become such were the sufferers but now, through the joining of hands, a law-breaking majority holding the whip are mercilessly persecuting subordinate teachers and school alike and by their continued stubbornness in law-breaking, threaten to bring every ratepayer and householder into their school of suffering. In other words, the late "Passive Resisters," in order to save themselves the per- sonal consequences of their own policy, are adopting the present method, thus causing wide- spread dissatisfaction. A meeting of the town must be called to give every man an opportunity to speak upon the matter. I shall be willing to aid in support of auch a town's meeting. The position simply is this Under the old Act of 1870 our then local authority were guilty, with- out being amenable, of engaging teachers for classes of over 60 in some cases, concerning which some of us protested at the time. Under the Act of 1902 this has been remedied, necessitating an increase of the teaching staff. Also further improved legislation has been made in regard to the buildings. Surely none but they who require schooling can rightly find fault with this. Of course, this means extra cost to the rates but where'under the 1870 Act we were enabled to claim about £ 700 to the relief of the rates, under the 1902 Act the Government, without any such claim as of old, now are giving something like £ 2,000 as an aid grant, that is in so far as we in Barry are concerned. Now what, Sir, do we find ? Our friends the Progressives" (self-styled) gladly hold out their hand to take the £ 2,000 (or there- abouts) and refuse the responsibility which has come alongside this new aid grant. They as readily will take the sum of P.250 paid locally by the Roman Catholics towards the cost of education in the town, and then refuse to efficiently staff the school-which responsibility the Government has added along with the increased aid grant. Seeing that Bishop Hedley has said in writing that the Managers of St. Helen's are prepared to give the Council full control of the schools, except as regards religious teaching, in return for the very small proportion of the rate which is required to give their teachers a fair salary," it does seem as though the sectarians are fighting for the sake of fighting. Again, I ask, why not act constitutionally? Be law-abiding, and thus assist our magistrates, &c., in their arduous duty. The Act is not all good, but it is not all bad. Its repeal or reform is urgent, and the only honest Christian manly way of obtaining this all-to-be-desired end is to vote straight in the fast coming General Election. Regretting, Sir, the necessity to occupy so much of your ever-increasing valuable space,- Yours, &c., W. T. MEDHURST. 43, Thompson-street, Barry Docks. p.S.-Since writing the above I have seen the report of the Council meeting on Monday night, at which it was stated that the extra cost to the town under the 1902 Act last year was £ 2,329. This, however, against an extra aid grant of £ 2,658 as compared with the 18 AJ Acb, or the old Necessitous Schools Aid Grant. I am correct in suggesting that if this extra 8 as jstween additional costs and grant of £ 329 be added to the upkeep of St. Helen's School, that school would be more than over-staffed, and even then the local rates would be

BARRY " PROGRESSIVES " AND…

BARRY MAY SHOW AND HORSE PARADE.

THE ANNUAL DINNER.

BARRY EDUCATION COMMITTEE.

CONSERVATISM IN SOUTH GLAMORGAN.

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