St.Anne's Council School
St.Anne's Council School, Sydney Street, opened 1910.
Demolished in the 1980s.
A newspaper article and
a "letter to the editor" relating to Council Schools, 1907
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AGITATION FOR A COUNCIL SCHOOL
RATEPAYERS' UNION PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.
At a meeting of St. Annes Ratepayers' Union last week, the Rev. W.
Elstub presiding, the following resolution was passed on the motion
of Mr. W. Mackie, seconded by Mr. W. Westall:
"That inasmuch as the Education Committee and the Lancashire County
Council have not made the much needed provision for a Council School
in St. Annes, but have supported the sectarians in their proposals
to enlarge their schools, with a view of drawing still more from the
rates for their upkeep, this Union emphatically protests against
such a one-sided policy on the ground that while taxing the
ratepayers for sectarian education, it leaves them no choice of
schools; that in order to secure a Council School for St. Annes, an
attempt ought to be made to secure a grant from the £100,000 set
apart by Mr. McKenna for Council Schools."
At the same meeting the Secretary (Mr. F. W. Fox) reported the
arrangements made in connection with the forthcoming Inquiry; and
"the attitude of the Roman Catholics in connection with the petition
against the extension of their schools was discussed but adjourned
for a future meeting."
The Rev. W. Elstub characterized the resolution passed by the
Lancashire County Council with respect to the extensions at
Heyhouses School as "neither flesh, fowl, nor good red herring." He
never heard of such a resolution.
While they admitted the right of St. Annes to a Council School they
recommended the extensions at Heyhouses, if the Government would
contribute 75 per cent of the cost, leaving 25 per cent for the
local authority; then they recommended a Council school for 300. It
seemed to him they were denominationalists first and educationists
second. He thought Fleetwood was a capital case for them to look at.
A new school accommodating 600 children had cost £7,000, which was
14 pence in the £; surely a school for St. Annes for 300 could not
cost more than a three quarters of a penny rate.
St.Anne’s Express, October 1907
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EDUCATION QUESTION AT ST. ANNES.
TO THE EDITOR.
Sir,-In writing on the education problem "Scholasticus" says that
Nonconformists of the town will be allowed to build schools for
themselves if they so desire. No doubt, as in the past, the
partisans of the Church still stand for party and privilege. "Scholasticus"
denies the right of every child to receive a sound education at the
common expense. He still holds that the child should be educated at
the expense of the party or church, so that the children of one
sect, because they are wealthier, may be better educated than
another.
He still believes in education being restricted to those who are
best able to pay for it, and he does not want the schools where all
may be educated free from creed or distinctive religious teaching.
Yet be signs himself "Scholasticus." One might tempted to ask if the
letter was "writ sarkastic." If "Scholasticus" wants denominational
teaching let him have it at his own expense, but let him be
prevented from forcing it down the necks of other people. He speaks
about paying for the schools of the church, I wonder how much "Scholasticus"
has contributed personally towards the cost of keeping up the St.
Annes Church schools, and I wonder what the proportion of the cost
of upkeep has come out of the people of the country? The Government
grant is given out of money contributed by the people of the
country. It is a thousand pities that the Church School managers
cannot enlighten us as to the respective amounts contributed out of
Church funds, the, Lytham Undenominational Charity, and by the
Government. Will the amount contributed by the Church be ten per
cent?
"Scholasticus" is pursuing the policy of the dog in Aesop's fables.
The dog was crossing the bridge with a. bone in his mouth, and
looking over into the water saw another dog with a bone in his
mouth. He snatched for the other bone, and in doing so lost his own
- he lost his own by being greedy. Let "Scholasticus" and his
friends take care and guard against losing their own school in
trying to stop a Council school.-Yours, etc., JUNIUS.
St. Annes,
October 24th, 1907.
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