"GODLESS EDUCATION."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1433, 7 May 1912, Page 5

"GODLESS EDUCATION."

CLERGYMAN DEFENDS THE STATE . - SCHOOLS. (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent.) Wanganui, May 6. At the anniversary services of Trinity Wesleyan Sunday School yesterday the Rev. J: A. Luxford made some interesting remarks on what is frequently called "our Godless education system'" which were in striking contrast to soma clerical utterances on the subject. He said he had no sympathy with those who called our State system of education Godless. One of the reading books in use in the schools was full of moral lossoils and lifted the mind of the child into a refined atmosphere. Still it was necessary to touch the heart of the child and appeal to its sympathy. There was something deeper and nobler than morality. Ho had heard it stated that 90 per cent, of the State school children attended Sunday schools, and he had no reason to doubt that statement. The religious education of children was essential to tho maintenance of natural prosperity, and the teacher of Sunday schools deserved the thanks and recognition of State ps well as the Church. He gave a Bible iesson onco a week in tho State school to about 70 children, and was pleased to find most of 'them had a fair knowledge of Bible history and' Scriptural truths. His experience, both here and in other parts of the Dominion, whero he had given Biblo lessons, was that tho parents wore pleased for the children to attend, that tho children's behaviour was good and reverent, and that they were intensely interested in the lessons. The civilised heathen children that some people raved about he had not met, except in isolated cases