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A LOOK AT THE PARTIES BY OUR EDUCATION MEN
T
But as for meeting the central and grievous educational needs of the parents of children in POLITICAL POLICY SPEECHES HAS Catholics schools, Mr. Holt was bitterly disappointing. Many votes have floated down the BEEN IN GENERAL UNENTHUSIAS- Ord to the open sea. But they will be trivial compared to the number of votes this failure will TIC. IN ONE SECTION, THAT OF EDUCATION, alienate. DISAPPOINTOF BEEN 2 — Australian Labor Party: Following the THE REACTION HAS modification of policy in Brisbane, a direct offer MENT AND INDIGNATION. of assistance per primary and secondary child has been made, of 60 cents per week per primary "The Record" asked for comments by the child, and 80 cents per week per secondary child. Directors of Catholic Education in Perth and From the total cost quoted, this seems to apply Bunbury, Monsignor J. E. Bourke and Dr. B. R. to the school year, rather than to the whole year. A dderfey. But it is a type of assistance for which many Catholics have asked. If education were the only MONSIGNOR BOURKE said: election issue, a vast volume of the votes of It is proposed to state factually the educational Catholics would return to . the A.L.P. As it is, policies of major parties involved in the election, there will be a considerable shift of votes. and on each to make a comment, insofar as they 3—Democratic Labor Party: In theory, the affect Catholic schools. policy of the D.L.P. is favourable to Catholic 1 —GOVERNMENT (LIBERAL PARTY, schools. In fact, to vote D.L.P. in the lower house COUNTRY PARTY): Mr. Holt offered four and follow the party's recommended preference. points. To set up a Ministry of Education and is to vote for the Liberal-Country Coalition, Science. To offer financial support of the Com- whose educational policy is now vastly inferior monwealth to teacher training. To reserve in new to that proposed by the A.L.P. The Liberal Party colleges, set up with Commonwealth support, ten has coasted in on D.L.P. preferences for more per cent of places to non-bonded students. To than a decade. My own guess is that they have increase the volume of science building and tried this once too often. One solution of the Catholic dilemma would equipment aid. 2—AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY: Mr. Cal- be to vote A.L.P. in the House of Representatives well promised increased educational expenditure, and D.L.P. in the Senate. The addition of several but in particular 60 cents per week per primary more D.L.P. Senators would help to check and child, 80 cents per week per secondary child, to control certain features of A.L.P. policy that be paid fortnightly to central agencies for dis- Catholics still find difficult to accept. tribution to independent schools. In his policy speech, this was linked to payment of lay tea- DR. ADDERLEY said: chei s. but on enquiry it was found that this was a Mr. Holt's policy speech came as a shattering purpose, but not the sole purpose of the pay:r.ent blow to the legitimate aspirations of the Catholic 3—DEMOCRATIC LABOR PARTY: A promise parents of Australia. With the exception of the of •assistance to independent schools., to permit Communists, all political parties have agreed on f reedom and equality of education to all sections the principle of aid to independent schools. From of the community, has been a consistent objective this general agreement, we had hoped that the of D.L.P. policy. It was reiterated by Senator crippling burden entailed in educating nearly a Gair. quarter of Australia's children might soon be lightened. Through frequent contact over the past months COMMENT with members of the Government. who can no 1 — Government (Liberal Party, Country longer claim to be unaware of our problems, we Party): The Ministry of Education is welcome. had been led to expect some alleviation of Our So, for the good of Australia generally, is Com- burden. We find that once again we have been monwealth entry into the finance of teacher train- callously disregarded with not even the custom- ITALY'S bishops have ing. But the help apparently offered to non- ary lip-service sympathy paid to our problems. launched a nationbonded teachers is conceived in a way that will Catholics generally are fed up with being treat- wide fund drive to give little help to independent schools. ed as second-class citizens in educational matters. bring help to hundreds Twelve such places per year have been avail- They can now look to the forthcoming elections of thousands of Italians able without cost in Western Australia since 1952. with justifiable anger. I sincerely hope that they who have been victims of torrential rain and Five priests and 63 nuns have received certifi- approach the polls in this mood. • devastating floods. cates, out of a possible total of 168 such students. —B. R. Adderley, Presbytery, Nannup, W.A. and NO candidates from other independent The gravest hit areas —J. E. Bourke, 77 St. George's Terrace. Perth. are the cities of Florschools. Extended science assistance is welcome. ence and Venice, as well as the industrial city of Central Grosseto in Italy and Trent in th• far north of the country. Emergency relief supplies, including clothing. and food medicines were immediately sent to the disaster centres as soon as it was pos sible to reach the isolated cities. The Pontifical Relief Organisation head, Mon signor Abramo Freschi. left Rome to visit the disaster areas in order to bring the blessing of Pope Paul VI and to direct relief work. Monsignor Freschi returned to Rome tnd reported personally to thi Pope. After the audience it was announced that Monsignor Freschi "had made a pressing appeal with the encouragement I of the Pope to speed 'upi the distribution of help with timely interven tions — in zones where the need is the greatest —of volunteers to help The three Polish chaplains in this State are pictured here with Bishop M. McKeon who presided at the s tricken populations Mass. Monsignor Dzieciol assisted the Bishop. Father J. Gajkowski was celebrant, Father B. Binkowski, now and later. when it deacon and Father M. Keating was sub-deacon. will be a matter of reThey were escorted into the church by a guard of honour of the little girls in national costume. establishing normal conditions." HE
REACTION
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THE
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Campaign For Flood Victims
Polish Millennium Mass
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TWO WIN TRIP
ERALDINE FITZ ‘'w GERALD, of "Iona" Presentation Colleg e, Mosman Park. daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald, of Mt. Magnet, has won an AnsettA.N.A.-sponsored trip to Tasmania as a guest of the Tasmanian Government for an essay, "Tasmania—Its Wealth And Wonders." The competition is nation-wide and open to all boys and girls in secondary schools. Geraldine was the best girls' entry and STEPHEN DEPIAZZI, of St. Charles' Seminary won the W.A. Boys' Section. The winners will be flown to Tasmania and provided with a week's accommodation and a tour of the island—conducted through the Department of Education of Tasmania in conjunction with Tourism. Geraldine. who is at present in •Sub-Leaving. aims to do well next year in physics chemistry and maths so as to be able to take up medicine at the University of Western Australia.
EDITORIAL HEN there is a promise of reason and justice, people who have been under a burden talk confidently of the weight being lifted. There is hope. When the expected reason and justice are not forthcoming, but the cause is turned into a political gamble, there is room for the cynicism of previous times to return. If the matter of education policy were the only important issue in the election for a Federal Government. one could expect a large-scale vote to the party which offered most justice and the relief of a crushing burden. Unfortunately„ this is not the case and people must consider the broader and equally important responsibilities of the Government of this country for the next three years. There is obvious disappointment that the Federal Government, knowing the facts, chose to virtually ignore the problem. The prospects offered by the only (at this stage) alternative government merely scratch the surface without the prospect of anything concrete coming in the foreseeable future. Committees of enquiry can drag on a long time and„ like the Vincent Report. remain printed words. The electors face a serious choice and everyone must consider the full aspect of government of this country. Domestic issues alone are not sufficient, the broader role., including our role in South-East Asia, the Commonwealth and other external affairs must come under the scrutiny of the conscientious voter. To vote according to the individual conscience mindful of the policies of the party voted for and the character of the individual forming that party in its executive function of government is of vital importance and a duty of citizenship which cannot be lightly shrugged off by invalid votes, running down the card, or picking one issue only and ignoring the rest. The choice will be a difficult one. —F. J. Dillon, 450 Hay Street. Perth, W.A.