CANADA AND BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 149814, 30 May 1914, Page 15

CANADA AND BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS.

TO THE EDITOK OF *'I'HE TRESS."

Sir, —i wui&ea into a puDtic sonool in

[ Vancouver v-uy, U.U., and. aatteu uio teacuer ir any leugious instruction was gi>eu : ins repjy was mao tne scnooi was , auvays o^eueu by a repetition ot tno ! Xioru s jfia%er. we /.caianuers j are see-mug tor imoiuuruon on tuis . ({uestion of regions instruction iv i ocato scnoois, tno lotlowuiii Cauauian j Jaws on tno suuject aro wort-ay of i note:—

j Ontario Province (population ; "2,siiJ,uu- in ISiiij.—"The rieripiures : snail be read daiiy and systematically; | cue portion ueeu way be taa.en irom tuo ! booic ot ocrinruro selections adopted by i tno impairment lor mat purpose, or j from tne Bioie, as the trustees oy reso- ; iution may uncct. 'leu uominaud- ! iueiits aio leptated oiico a wees."

j- l'io»inco t,popiauuon 2,000,697 iin tyiij.—""'luoio a;o ltoiuaii vatntuic 1 otato scuoois and i'rotestant iata-to j sciiools, eacn supported out ol taxation j on tneir own reopecuvo properties and Government graius. 100 Lioio is read ; compuisorily in Protestant public SCIKjUIS." ! -New Brunswick (population 351,815 in j 15/11). —"Jt snail do tuo privilege/ of ! eve.y teacher to open and close - Ao aany exercises of tne scnool by reading xl portion of scripture (out ot tho Coni- | mon or Douay version, as no may pre--1 ion, aud by ouertng tno Isold's iTayer. j But no teacher snail compel any pupil j U> bo present at tneso exercises against i tuo visa of his parent or guardian, tscj pressed in "Writing to the Board of Iscnool) Trustees." Saskatcnewan Province (population 403,u0S in 1911).~'"Tiio local Boards 1 may permit religious instruction in j ecxiools." j Manitoba Province (population j -lui,6yi iv 1911). —"Religious exercises in public schools shall be conducted according to tho regulations of tho Advisory Board. . . . Such religious

exercises shall take placo just before j the closing hour in tho afternoon. If ; ihe parent or guardian of any pupil j notihcs the teacher that ho doea not I wi.ih such pupil to attend such exercises, I then such nunil shall be dismissed bo- ( fore such exercises take place. Such

religious teaching shall take place. . . . | and chall bo conducted by any Christian j cl»>rp,vmaii ... or by any person j duly'authorised by such clergyman, or

by a teacher when so authorised- . 4 . Where tho schoolroom accommodation at tho disposal of tho (school) trasfceerr perinils, instead of allotting difforeubdays of the week to different donomina-. tions for tho purpose of religions teaching, thc pupils may bo separated whoa tho hour for .religious teaching arrives, and placed in different rooms." At tho Scripture reading thero is no instruction jjiven, just a simple reading without comment.—-Yours, etc., S.< PEARSON.--' I 253 Cuba street, Wellington, May 26th, 1914.