NOT WANTED AS COMPULSORY SUBJECT

Chronicle (Levin), 15 May 1947, Page 7

NOT WANTED AS COMPULSORY SUBJECT

WELLINGTON, May 14. By 87 votes to 24 a remit that support be given to the inclusion'of Scriptnre as a core subject of the post-pri-mary curricnlum was rejeeted by members of the New Zealand Technical Teachers ' Association, in conf erence in Wellington today. . v * . The -remit suggested provision for exemption pf pupils. whose . patents hiight object on conscientious grounds and limited the teaching of' the-Scrip-ture to its literary and historical aspects. ,e . ... An Otahuhu delegate, the maver, met the suggestion that ,Scripture-teaehing was the job of the churches. by saying that they would willingly give. if if they couid only get, the children to' attend church. Another delegate, a Vo.man, said that a Glergyman who visited , a primary school in her district had stated that only 30 per .eent. ?f ' the children in one senior class could write the Lord.'s Prayer correctiy — and no marks were talcen offi for bad spelling. Other teachers, op|>osing the remit, urged that the iist of compulsory subjects could not be extended indefinitely. Others foresaw divisiom being cfeated among parents and pupils respeetively. ' ' 1 Compulsory Scfipture-teaching, said Mr. W. M. Stewart (Greymouth), "is the one sure way to drag down the ' beauty and the /stimulus of the thing in the youngsters' minds. As a headmaster, I do not^want'to have to ask any teacher to take Seripture as a- set subject." There was drama and magnificent imagery.in the Scriptures, ■but to say that £he teaching of it '/ should be done"' would drag the subject down. - . Touching a suggestion that Seriptural teaching should be made part of the courses in English' and social studies, one teacher said he envisaged advertiseinents saying: "Wanted, teachers, grade four, to teach' English and social studies. Willinguess. to take Seripture will be an additional',qualification." The teachers did, ' liowever, agrfee to support the principle that Seripture, where taught, may be taught by qualified post-primary teachers _ who ' are willing to give such instructiou.