388 THE SCHOOL BOARDS xv 



elementary schools ; while the other has obtained 

 a formal declaration from the Educational Depart- 

 ment that any such attempt will contravene the 

 Act of Parliament, and that, therefore, the unsec- 

 tarian, law-abiding members of the School Boards 

 may safely reckon upon bringing down upon their 

 opponents the heavy hand of the Minister of 

 Education. 1 



So much for the powers of the School Boards. 

 Limited as they seem to be, it by no means follows 

 that such Boards, if they are composed of intelli- 

 gent and practical men, really more in earnest 

 about education than about sectarian squabbles, 

 may not exert a very great amount of influence. 

 And, from many circumstances, this is especially 

 likely to be the case with the London School Board, 

 which, if it conducts itself wisely, may become a 

 true educational parliament, as subordinate in au- 

 thority to the Minister of Education, theoretically, 

 as the Legislature is to the Crown, and yet, like 

 the Legislature, possessed of great practical 

 authority. And I suppose that no Minister of 

 Education would be other than glad to have the 



1 Since this paragraph was written, Mr. Forster, in speaking 

 at the Birkbeck Institution, has removed all donbt as to what his 

 ' ' final decision " will be in the case of such disputes being 

 referred to him : "I have the fullest confidence that in the 

 reading and explaining of the Bible, what the children will be 

 taught will be the great truths of Christian life and conduct, 

 which all of us desire they should know, and that no effort will 

 be made to cram into their poor little minds, theological dogmas 

 which their tender age prevents them from understanding. " 



