NATIONAL SYSTEM OF EDUCATION.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15869, 7 April 1917, Page 4

NATIONAL SYSTEM OF EDUCATION.

TO THF, HDITOJI OF "THE PRESS." g; r —2tl r Dickinson's arguments for tho religious education of the youth of New Zealand arc cogent and do credit both to his head and heart. Ho goes too far, however, when he not only denounces the State system as misnamed national, but, borrowing an old phrnso of its enemies, calls it "godless," and makes it responsible for all the 'shirkers, raoney-srubs, and donothings called forth by this wai ; can wc°go with him in setting down ail who support- the State system, as dilfercnt to the influence ot' religion in tho formation of character, if not _ irreligious. His object seemingly is to show that the State should reeogmsc and subsidise all and sundry of the private schools of New Zealand. An overrated idol is to be discredited and worship shared with a variety of gods that reminds us of India and China. Wo go far with him, but wo aro not prepared to say amen to all this. Tbe State system of education is no more godless than the English language and literature taught in it is godless. .Many criminals, too, havo been taught m our Sunday schools, yet the latter continue to progress and to do a good work. As to the people who maintain the State svstem, he would be surprised* to hear that as a rulo thoy set great, storo by religion as the foundation or truo education. Why. then, it may bo asked, did they at tho last election reject tho South Wales system and uphold intact that which Mr Dickinson condemns. We believe that the answer is to bo found in "right of entry" that was wedded to the Bible in tbe issues submitted to tho electors. A minister myself, I must confess that against this the Teachers' Institute specially hurled -their darts. In their estimation school discipline was likely to suffer at the hands of untrained clerics if not school morality. At the timo tho issue for the election was •beinn; prepared I was a member of a Prcsbvterv that included the senior > clerk "of the General Assembly and the j Moderator elcct. | We passed a resolution imploring our Church leaders to submit the Bible issue only, or at least to admit of tho issues being separately voted on, but- in vain. Tho churches could not agree on this, and so it was all or nothing. Tinder the circumstances tho electors of New Zealand are not to be reprobated. The majority, we must Tcmember, belonged to one or other of tho reformed churches which taught that one of the chief planks in the platform of the reformation was freo access to the Bible and to God without tho intervention of anyone. They were not taught to believe that tho Bible needed an infalliblo interpreter, They were suspicious of the clerics. They feared that in the multitude of couneellors there would hero be confusion and tho brcaking-up of tho State system to the injuiy of New Zealand among the nations. Some of Us foresaw this, and were not astonished at tho result. Will Mr Dickinson and all who agitate for tbe improvement of the State system make this distinction. Let them proeccd on Bible lines alono and they will bo astonished at the result.—Yours, etc.. JOHN DICKSON. 89 Rose street., Spreydon.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PKESS." • Sir, —If your correspondent, Mr Dickinson, looks up the Auckland newspapers ho will read that tlicro wero two "ministers of religion" among tho speakers in tho deputation which recently waited upon tho Hon. J. Hanan. These "ministers of religion" were the pastor of the .Seventh Day Adventists and tho minister of a suburban Congregational church. The two would not represent ono-ljalf per cent, of tho church-going people of Auckland city. —Yoursj ctc., FACT?. fWe print these comments, but wo cannot now open our columns to a general discussion of tho Bible-in-Schools question.—Ed. "The Press."]