EDUCATION AND RELIGION

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22516, 26 September 1938, Page 6

EDUCATION AND RELIGION

STATE AID FOR CHURCH SCHOOLS

RECOGNITION DESIRED IN NEW ZEALAND ITHS NUMB SptclaJ Servlce-1 GREYMOUTH, September 25. "In these days there is a tendency to regard human beings merely as economic units, disregarding the spiritual, moral, intellectual, and social aspects," said the Mayor of Greymouth <Mr F. A. Kitchingham) at the ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone of the new £4OOO residence for Marist Brothers at Greymouth this afternoon. These disregarded aspects, the Mayor said, were appreciated by the Brothers, who. in the education they gave the youth of the community, placed on it an individual value, apart from that of one who merely ate and drank. "State aid for such schools is given in other countries," said the chairman

of the Grey County Council (Mr J. W. Hannan), "but, strange to say, In this Dominion mention of It seems to be abhorrent. I trust that soon it will be recognised by New Zealanders as a nation as just as important as old age pensions if this young country is to ward off attacks of Communism." The Catholic Church, he said, was the only Church seriously to tackle the education of youth. He was not there to criticise authority or its enactments, Bishop Brodie said, but it was pertinent to esk what was the authority of doing justice to the morals of this country by denying financial assistance to religious organisations. In' the educational field a brief glance at the world to-day and the sad happenings of the week-end could not fail to turn attention to religion and religious education. Christians had been put to death in Russia because that faith was an obstacle to the rulers. Hitler's policy in Germany was causing world unrest, and it was Hitler who had ruled that children be handed to the State to be converted into soldiers.

France in 1902 had abolished Chris« tian schools.-said Bishop Brodie, but in 1814 had realised the mistake. Great Britain had set an example to the world in religious education. In England, mainly an Anglican country, financial aid had been given to religious schools. Scotland, dominantly i Presbyterian, gave generous conditions to them, and in Ireland, according to the Anglican Bishop of Limerick, nonCatholic schools received even better conditions than they received in England. In Canada and South Africa church schools were endowed, but not so in Australia and New Zealand. In the Dominion Catholics contributed annually £500,000 in taxation for education, but received not one penny benefit. In addition, they spent £250.000 in marnlenance of their own system. ___