RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 650, 29 October 1909, Page 3

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

DISCUSSION BY: DUNEDIN ANGLICAN' SYNOD. .! '

| POSITION .OP ROMAN CATHOLICS. ! / (By Telegraph—l'rcss Association ! ' 1 ' I Dunedin, October 2'. " „ At the Anglican",, Synod. to-day the Rev, J. G. - o. Bartlett moved:—-"That this synod desires '> (, ■ to express Its sens® of the paramount import-. ance of a. system, of,education, for. the: young;- i which instruotioiij.- and' haTmg_ this •in .view 1 approves of the prmcinlo embodied in the .Now South Wales-■ education , - system, by which clorgy and'accredited toacWs; .. , : .of. the several' religious bodies have permission , to visit, tho State schools, w,ithin ordinary, school ' hours-for the- purpose of 'giving •religiouS::in-i:j(>. ! struction, and resolyes thapan-effort bo made " to secure for . this country facilities of Vthe. - same, nature,, and: requests the representatives V" of this diocese to see tnatithe matter be brought'-•"*'**' before tho next: General Synod/' The-mover • i urged that the time-was.ripe, for tho adoption of the New Sooth' Wales system. Tho educa-- ; , tion btfiirds hero.had power to extend .the hours - , during which; instruction;'shall'bo;given m'': public schiols, and '.he', argued -that pressure ' should he brought to,, bear on tho boards, in ■■ order to provide for religious instruction being •: given, in school hours by clergymen. At present, . ..I : the great majority; of.* children : who attended ■ , the pnblio schools did not attend Sunday school, . and a great proportion 1 of these were, growing :! /;'■ up without any religious instruction .whatever. . v There was- a- possibility, - therefore,, that 1 tho . social and moral condition of ..the community > was likely to get into a had state. They knew that the mothers;of the ,community, had tho ■ : greatest influence-on the fiiture.'qf.tho country.' 1 If tho . mothers', were; without knowledge of : Christianity-their. no desire to know their God; and tho, expononco that had been felt in Victoria as' tho result of, .; lack of religious teaching would .bo the expenr . ence here, '.Our morality, would sink, to, a lowery. , /level witha corresponding effect oh tho whols v of society. Surely, continued the speaker, a .v ; religious body, had; tho same right -tordemand ■ -, : that religioiis instruction bo ' given l , as- had .'a scientific, body that geography, history,-, arith- • metic, etc.,' which ten^ea'.to -strengthen ? a maa: in his more'worldly hfe,'should' bc-tinjlfSt-inf f l ;' the schools. '-. Knowledgo : , of 'religion . fitted V man just, as: those other "things - did "for his/ -i'V-j position in daily life.' Mr., A. Mora Barnott; moved as .-amend-, r : -t mcnt: "That this,synod considers,that Bible • teaching be givon-in the sohools of the Do-. . minion, and that such, teaching'bo given, with■■ jnstico to .all,' it'is dosirablo that somo sion be 1 given to Itoman Catholics.'t .Mr. }3ar- . v, ■ nett. explained * that the principal difforenoo Vi /V; between his 'motion and that -moved by Mr. »•, Bartlett. was that while Mr.-Bartlett proposed- .••> ... that a: little .'more, liberty be- -allowed ..so that'.-,. ■; religious instruction could bo given by clergy v ; : men,in State schools,:he proposed that this in-' ■ .struction be compulsory, and' that at ..tho samo time such concession bo iriadoas to allow Eo- : i man Catholio "ohil3ren,. in common with the children of other denominations, to- receive re-,'. V ligions instruction at'the hands of the' sohool-'' ' master. He would. be considered a very bold ■ man in bringing. such a resolution "forward,'' '■ :; but thirty years'- experience as a publio school teachor ; had, convinced. him that until thoro was union'among tho different religious bodice:" as to religious toaohing'thoy would never gct\ , . from the authgritics the concessions that they,.-" :•% were asking.for. .'/• 1 . ■ ... . ... ■ ... The amendment; was not seconded,,- and, the': J' 1 ii motion, after' discusaion, was tmanimou6ly car« : ried. i. 1 :.;■■■ • ■ , .-j It was unanimonsly, resolved, on tho motion; ; j of Dean FitchettJ'"That tho proposal to modify a -j the constitution.-by altering or cancolluig tho -: : j provisions called, fundamental, with a new-, i -I to revision'of the Prayer-book,.is, in tho opin- : • 5 ion of tho synod,-promature." , V'-'l