The Tokomairiro School Inquiry.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 214, 16 December 1873, Page 7

The Tokomairiro School Inquiry.

(Evening Star.) The substance of the report of Mr MaitIland, R.M., concerning the groundless charge preferred by the Rev, Father Coleman 'Jjigainst the schoolmaster of Tokomairiro Vof punishing Michael Curran for not attending Bible reading and prayers, was published by us some time ago. We have 110 wish to be severe upon any man, be 3ie layman or priest, who commits a mistake in the fulfilment of what he conceives to be Ihis duty ; but we hold that when on most ■conclusive evidence the error is exposed, •every reparation that can be made is due to those affected by it. In this instance the attack was not intended to be upon the schoolmasters at Tokomairiro. They were only "the cat's-paws. Had'they alone been concerned the matter would never have been Iheard «f. That was not the object of the 'complaint. We shall, no doubt, lay ourselves >open to condemnation by a section of the ■community for freely expressing our opinion on the matter, but justice requires that it •should be explicitly stated; the charge was 'made against the school teachers, and their reputation was attacked, in order to establish a case against the educational system of the Province, It was sought to bring this instance forward as evidence that a large minority of the population were subjected to injustice; that their religion was despised, «,nd their children's faith tampered with. We are not advocates for the clay school •being made a seminary of religion—in fact, ■we look upon it that, if it be perverted to that purpose, the problem to be solved is :how little religious instruction is sufficient to satisfy the conscience of the dominant church: pot how much can be given. We even go • farther and affirm that the half- hour devoted a worse than useless reading of the Bible —a book dealing with subjects, the exposition of which requires years of preparatory the part of highly-educated menis so much abstracted from the time for learning of those children whose religion will not admit- of their attending that service. We :are not, therefore, advocating the continu•ance of a system which we believe to be pernicious, because of its being the flimsiest possible substitute for what religious instruction ought to be. In the highest interests of humanity we consider it ought to be abolished, for it is just one slight remove from children not being taught anything whatever of religion •: assuming they receive no other training than that. But that does not justify such a course of proceeding as was adopted by Father Coleman. The whole affair is a singular illustration of the passing innocence of the clerical mind Fortunately the lay mind is more suspicious than the clerical; and when the Inspector of Schools was informed about it, he very naturally did what Father Coleman did not dohe instituted inquiry, and the result is now before the world. So far as the school system of Otago is concerned, there is not a shadow of foundation for supposing, from this circumstance, that the schoolmasters have, directly or indirectly, interfered with the religions faith of a child, against the wish of its parents : and in honour the Rev. Father Coleman is bound to proclaim that fact to the world. The organ of the Roman Catholic Church, published in Dunedin, has not treated the matter fairly. In an article published a short time since, the writer put forward a, series of hypotheses, tending to lead to doubts as to the result of the investigation ; and as the charge lias been thus repeated, it is due to the teachers falsely accused, the school system of the Province, aid the clerical reputation of the Reverend Father, that he should do what one man would require of another—acknowledge he was deceived as to the facts, and hasty m his conclusion.