By a Staff Reporter Leicester now has a single overall plan for the Catholic education of children throughout the city, with a central fund to implement it With the full blessing of the Bishop cq Nottingham, the Leicester Catholic Council, as representing all parishes and extra-parochial associations in the city, has published the plan in detail in the form of a " White Paper," which was distributed to every adult attending Mass on Sunday. It was received with enthusiasm.
Main features of the plan are : Catholic education problems of the entire city and its surrounding parishes have now been viewed as a whole. Conflicting local schemes and needs are subordinated to the overall requirements of Catholics throughout the entire area; There is now one centrally conceived plan and one fund for financing it to which all school funds will be paid and out of )vhich the cost of braiding the necessary schools will be met.
All funds now held by parishes for the erection of schools and all parochial school debts will be discharged out of this fund.
The Leicester Corporation, as the local education authority, has agreed to make provision in its initial education plan for four primary schools and two secondary schools for Catholics. The four primary schools will be located in the nerth, south, east and west of the city. Sites for two more projected primary schools will be reserved.
PAROCHIAL LOYALTIES
When the two secondary schools are built one will be used as a grammar school, the other as a
modern school. Because of the comparatively small number of Catholics in the city the Corporation has laid it down that both, should be mixed schools, between them accommodating 900 pupils. Two long-established schools do not conform to the Ministry's standards and will have to be closed.
Total cost of the scheme is £406,000, of which Catholics must be prepared to find at least a quarter of a million pounds.
Many will regret a scheme which at first sight appears to conflict with parochial loyalties," says the Catholic Council. "In union alone can we find the strength to bear the financial burden," The Leicester Catholic Council from the outset acted as the representative of the Bishop in all negotiations with the local Corporation and has been entrusted by him with the task of raising the money needed to ensure a Catholic education for every Catholic child. The scheme has been approved hy the Bishop and agreed to by all the parish priests.