SCHOOL MASTERS AND CHURCH TEACHINGS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 3

SCHOOL MASTERS AND CHURCH TEACHINGS.

Sir,—ln at least one town in New Zealand, objection has been raised to tho practice prevailing in certain, secondary schools of reading ■ prayers before . morning ?school. I venture to think this matter requires still more attention. -The people of New.> Zealand have'adopted the .priuciple, tl)at..anyi education \yhich for assists'to provide, shall.be of a purely .secular character. This principle! is '• pbserved'-'in. the primary''schools 'and in- the university'colleges. Why' should it bo ignored in the secondary schools? It is urged, on the other side, that if any parents object, their children are oxcused from attendance at prayers. Quite true! But supposo a; boy. or a girl po'nsciontiously- objects—and boys and girls of; seventeen or eighteen do think about these matters—is he or she excused ? I doubt it.. But there another side , to this ques(tion— the. teacher's side, and on this I can speak with knowledgo, for I have been' a master- in a -secondary school. , (It. must be remembered I am .dealing with those secondary schools only which receive Government aid,' and .1 do not refer to. those connected -with any .particular church,' nor to those owned--by'private persons.)' ; As umvorait^appointments , are- few and requirp ;specialists, -the:'best position iwhich I the. .majority..of -teachers can-hopp to , .roach is one in a secondary, school. Now, among the teachers' of- this; country there' is a-.con-siderable number (but it matters hot whether the'number bo great or small) who do not believe the teaching of any church; and who do not' bolieve the Bible to bej'in any sense, inspired. Should they bo asked or expected to Mread prayers" orbe present at 'such read*ing? No one, surely,- can maintain that they should'. But, it will'be objected, such teachers can ask to bo. oxcused. Quito true again, but they will 'find that such a re-j quest is. likely to. put considerable difficulties ■in-.the .way of their advancement' in their ! profession. But;.in theory, nil positions in the schools I:am. speaking of, are open to all, without respect of creed. It is time the practice was. mnde to conform to. tho theory! . It is ■ possible that in day. schools teachers, who so desired, .might bo excused attendance at; prayers.. But many ofthesn schools aro boarding-schools, and many of the teachers must reside in the schools, and I here arises tho matter of "Sunday duty." Resident teachers'arc required to tnko thoir turn in escorting their pupils to church, and a request to be excused would not: bo at all .well received by ; most principals; pr govprning bodies. •■ I-once" arranged.'with : -;n fellow j master to take some nf his weekday duty in exchange. for-his taking my Sunday duty. The arrangement did not find fnvnur with tho principal,.■ who' held "that,' 'taking hoys to' olinroli ono of this ordinary' duUoa

of a house nioster, and, oven though it was not .specified at. the time of. my appointment, I must have known I should bo expected to do it, and, further, that for tho sake of appearances, I must do it. As I had to earn my living, I did it. .Whether such compulsory church-going is for tho glory of God, tho edification of tho pupils, or the. moral improvement" of tho teacher, I leuvo tho public to decide. If the advocates of compulsory attendance at church could hear tho remarks on Sunday duty, made \_ in masters' common-rooms and studies, I think they would doubt its beneficial effect. To sum tho matter up: All positions in State-aided schools are (in theory) open to all, irrespective of creed. Many of the best positions are in. State-aided .boarding schools. In such schools resident, teachers must take Sunday duty. If a teacher holds rationalistic! views., he is welcome to His views, but he must act 06 if he did not hold them—i.o., ho must ncW-he liar and the hypocrite. If he persists in being honest in. the matter, ho must go elsewhere. '■> If tho teacher's highest duty is tho inculcation,- by word and deed, of true morality, is this state of things satisfactory?—l am, eto " . . • VERITAS. June 2. .....:.'