The effects of government spending cuts on Catholic education came under attack from Mr Ernest Shields, President or the Catholic Teachers' Federation, in a speech to teachers in Nottinaham last week.
Mr -Shields said that the outlook was gloomy for those who upheld parental choice. Cuts would give extra bite to the proposed amendment of the Education Act, giving local authorities "carte blanche" over schools closures. Mr Shields also feared for parents who sent their children to Catholic schools some distance away, "Money is to be saved by the removal of Local Education Authorities' obligations to provide school transport," he said. In some parts of the country this could have very serious consequences for those parents who choose to send their children to denominational schools."
Mr Shields suggested that the state was failing in its duty to "support and complement the work of parents."