CLAUSE 27.—(Special provisions as to religious education in aided schools and in special agreement schools.) (Hansard, 9 May 1944)

§ Mr. Butler

I beg to move, in page 22, line 45, to leave out Sub-section (2), and to insert: (2) If a teacher appointed to give in an aided school religious instruction other than instruction in accordance with an agreed syllabus fails to give such instruction efficiently and suitably, he may be dismissed on that ground by the managers or governors of the school without the consent of the local education authority. 1807 This Amendment is designed to give effect to the understanding reached in Committee that the Government would attempt to introduce a provision which made it quite clear that a teacher appointed to an aided school to give religious instruction, whom the managers were entitled to dismiss, should not be dismissed without the consent of the local education authority and, as stated here, should be dismissed on grounds connected with the giving of the religious instruction. The fear was expressed that there might be other grounds imported into the question. That view was expressed by the hon. Member for Aberavon (Mr. Cove) and the hon. Member for Carmarthen (Mr. Moelwyn Hughes). I hope this draft will meet what they felt was necessary.