"SOCRATES" AND EDUCATION IN MEW SOUTH WALES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 664, 15 November 1909, Page 8

"SOCRATES" AND EDUCATION IN MEW SOUTH WALES.

Sir,—When you contributor "Socrates" writes about 'education in New' South Wales it- is plainly evident.to anyone familiar with that State that, he' knows very little about, thematter. He says in'your- issue/of to-day that Archbishop Kelly was perfectly right in complaining of, and objecting to, certain books used, by the State. Education Department in training its teachers for the public schools. Tho' Church to which the Archbishop belongs has been from the very first in open and deadly opposition to the State schools, and has been fighting against, them unceasingly ..ever since their introduction in 1880. They have since then built one of their Church schools by the side of' almost every public school in New, South Wales.' I,have heard the priests at the altar and in the presence, of the bishop denounce in the strongest terms the parents if they, continued to, send their children to the Protestant State schools. As there. are only Protestant children attending the State schools, and all the teachers: are chosen , and trained from the scholars and the inspectors and officers of .the Department are all promoted from the ranks of teachers, it stands as a natural consequence that there are at the present timo none of Archbishop Kelly's people in any way connected with' the public schools, and therefore he has no right to interfere''or'dictate to the Education Department what books shall or shall not be used in the education of Protestant children and their teachers.—l am, '• HODGE; Noromber 12, 1989.