§ MR. DIXONasked the Vice President of the Council, Whether his attention has been called to the following paragraphs in the monthly paper of the National Society for May, pp. 75, 76:—
Then with respect to the time for admitting children who object to the religious teaching given in the School, and who wish to take advantage of the protection afforded by the Conscience Clause, we would say, in all cases, when it is practicable, require them to enter School at the same time as the others.If there is no Class Room they would be obliged to remain outside till prayers were concluded. … With such an arrangement cases of conscience would probably be found to have no existence; all the children would readily join in the prayers and in the religious lesson;and, if so, whether he will state, for the information of Teachers and Managers, whether they have the power to make such arrangements as will "oblige" the children "to remain outside till prayers were concluded?"
§ MR. W. E. FORSTERsaid, in reply, that if there was an endeavour to compel children to attend at a certain time, and keep them outside until prayers or any other religious ordinance was finished, it would be contrary to the spirit and letter of the Education Act, and it would be the duty of the Government to interfere and prevent its being carried out. It was only fair to add, that having carefully read the whole of the document to which reference was made, and filled up the gaps which the hon. Member had left, he did not think, although the words were open to objection, that the object was to defeat the spirit of the Act, or to attempt to prevent children from being withdrawn from religious instruction, and at the same time receive the advantage of secular instruction.