It  is  on  this  account  that  the  Voluntary
|  schools  are  so  highly  valued  and  so  warmly
supported  by  those  who  are  principally  in-
terested in  religious  education.
Government  Schools  in  Scotland. — In
Scotland  the  system  of  School  Boards  pre-
vails very  widely,  though  not  exclusively.
j  This  is  to  be  accounted  for  partly  because-
it  falls  in  with  the  tradition  of  Scotch  edu-
cation, partly  also  because  there  is  no  re-
striction in  Scotland  as  to  what  religious
instruction  shall  be  given  in  the  schools.
A  Conscience  Clause  similar  to  that  in
i  England  protects  individual  liberty  of
opinion,  but  with  this  exception  denomi-
national teaching  may  be  freely  given.
The  Presbyterians  have,  therefore,  no  in-
ducement to  maintain  separate  schools,  as
the  Board  schools  fully  meet  their  require-
ments. The  voluntary  principle  is,  how-
j  ever,  fully  recognised.  There  is  nothing
to  prevent  the  denominations  retaining
I  their  schools  under  the  Privy  Council,  and
it  is  probable  that  Episcopalian  and  Roman
Catholic  schools  will  be  permanently  so
retained.
