CPEA, Cardinal's Visit to Leeds, High Mass at Kirkstall Abbey

The Catholic community in Leeds, with banners waving and band playing, come onto the streets in force in protest against the perceived iniquities of the Butler Education Act.

Catholic Parents from around the country, though mainly from West Yorkshire, gather for a show of strength in June 1945, a month prior to the general election. With placards proclaiming ‘Fair play for Catholic schools’ and quoting Rab Butler’s inability to concede “liberty of conscience”, they are protesting against not receiving full state funding for their schools, as LEA controlled schools had: a price they had to pay for being able to freely indoctrinate.

One might not think that education would be an issue in the middle of a war, but in fact it was a major area for new legislation, and already by November 1942 there was enough concern among Catholics to set up the Catholic Parents' Movement, initiated in Bradford. The White Paper on Education Reconstruction didn’t appear until June 1943. Within the Education Act of 1944 schools could opt to be either voluntary aided or voluntary controlled. In the former, which Catholic schools opted for, the school retained control over religious education, but had to contribute 50% to building costs (the state paid for running costs). Under the latter LEAs were required to produce an Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education.