EDUCATION INQUIRY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1490, 12 July 1912, Page 9

EDUCATION INQUIRY.

INTERESTING EVIDENCE ,

RELIGIOUS TEACHING,

POSITION OF ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

BOARDS AND OEPARTMENT.

The AVellington sittings of tho Commission appointed by tho Mackenzie Government to inquire into the condition and progress of national, education in NewZealand were resumed yesterday morning, Mr. Mark Cohen (chairman of tho commission) presiding. Mr. Herbert JUaillio, Chief Librarian to tho Wellington City Council, gavo evidence on the subject of school libraries. The AVellington City Library had nowreceived applications from four of the city schools for similar libraries to the one placed, as an experiment, in the Clydo Quay School, but these were being held over pending an examination!- of the result of the.Clyde Quay experiment, and also ponding a decision with regard to Government aid. It appeared to Mr. Bnillio that- the Education Department was the proper authority to undertake the work of general distribution. He thought that 340 "live" books would be quitfi sufficient for 3JO scholars. The collection 'would be divided into groups of volumes sufficient for each of the classes from the third standard upwards; each group would be.placed in a cupboard—as at Clyde- Quay—in the classrooms, in charge of the class, teachers respectively, each of whom hud a volco in thti selection of the books.-' In the work of distribution the Department might have the assistance of a Library Board, but it would also bo necessary, to have the services of an expert organiser, at any rate, till tho icheme was working smoothly, and everything would depend upon that officer's expert knowledge and enthusiasm'.

PLACE OF THE BIBLE IN EDUCA- ■ TION. VIEWS OP A LADY PRINCIPAL. Miss M. M'Lean, principal of the Wellington Girls' High School, submitted a lengthy statement covering various aspects of secondary school work. She deplored tho ignorance of school children on nil matters of Biblical knowledge. Many thought, and she agreed, that the resuits of tlio omission of religious teaching from the primary school syllabus were already' evident in tho unhealthy lovo of excitement and pleasure (seen in the crowds of , - children at picture shows), tho want of respect for authority, want of reverence to elders, and in tho loose-, ness in moral ideas. . ■ . ■ ■ li( reply, to questions by Mr. Wells, Miss M'Lean said that her experience was that about '8 per cent, of the freeplace -pupils left at the end of the first year. .These would hayo been better to have gone to the technical classes. There should be some obligation—she presumed it could be no more than a moral obligation—upon parents to keep their children at tho secondary schools for at least two years. She believed that boys sliould bo separated from girls from; 10 years of age onwards. ' To Mr. Kirk: She believed in the hecoo-' sity for systematic moral instruction of a religious "character in schools if for nothing else than to' compensate for the comparative neglect of this responsibility in the home. This neglect might arise in certain'-classes from the pressure of social .obligations, in others from lack of time and'opportunity. ' Mr. Kirk: Do you think the proportion of crimo is less in' countries wnich have Scriptural• teaching in schools? Miss M'Lean: I think in England, , whero Bible teaching is given, there is a higher standard of morality and conduct fchaiv.in-.other cou;ntjtf.e,Sy,wjier,& > .j,t,is^not,j given:-' '■*:■'•■:: , ■■ ■'; ;%,' .-'■ -.f.- •■■.-■-'■■ r-'. 1 Mr.' Kirk then read out the long paragraphin the syllabus dealing with moral instruction, and.asked .the. witness .if that was not sufficient. '■ - ' • Miss M'Lean: I should add to that the, study of the Bible. If that is included the deficiency in moral instruction would not be so great as it appears now. Mr. Kirk: Do you think thero is; any real need 'for the introduction of the Bible into schools? : , . Miss M'Lean: I do think there is a need. I think any kind of moral teaching which dissociates religion from tho daily lifo of the people is pernicious. Is that teaching given at home?—l think it shonld be' Supplemented by daily practice in the schools. At the same time, I do not wish'to imply that the

present body of teachers does not give moral instruction; but I do not think it is sufficient for the highest needs. To Mr. Pirani: She thought that matters pertaining to the physiology of sex might be left to the parents. Mr. Piranl: You have heard peoplo pronouncing a word like, say, "time," as "taimc,"'fliul so on?— Yes. ' . Have you heard much, of it among tho secondary-school pupils? Yes. Among tho teachers?—l'm afraid so. Have you heard this pronunciation among primary school , teachers?— No. Ilavc yon any idea whore it comes from?— From England, I think. The chairman: You give religious instruction iii your school ?—Yes. Bible-reading or Bible instruction?— The class teachers give ttiblo reading only. If I were to tell you that tho introduction of Bible in schools would break-up the national system of education would you still be in favour of its introduction? —Yes.

ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. STATEMENT BY DR. KENNEDY. The Rov. Dr. Kennedy, rector of St. Patricks College Wellington, dealt particularly with, the scholarship and freeplace systems as they ' affected Roman Catholic secondary schools. At St. Patricks College more than (10 per cent, of the new pupils every year brought certihcates entitling them to free places, buf they were debarred altogether from holding; them at the college, and to this extent were penalised. Further, a large proportion of the boys every yenr qualified For scholarships, but they were not allowed to hold them in the college where they qualified. If the pupils in Catholic schools were to avail themselves of free places and s6holarships in tho only way now open to them, it would mean that ail Catholic secondary schools would have to bo closed up for want of pupils. It could not be supposed that this was the object aimed at by the fraraera of existing legislation. It had been urged that Catholic schools were purely denominational, and for this reason received no help in this respect. But against this, he pointed out that such schools as Christ's College (Christchurch) and Wangamii College were both purely denominational, and yet their pupils were allowed to hold scholarships and free places in them. Even now Maori pupils were permitted to hold scholarships and free places in Catholic , secondary schools, so it was very difficult to understnid why the children of white parents-should be so penalised. The State should not refuse to pay for a sound secular education because "religious training was given as well.

THE SECULAR SYSTEM. \ SIB ROBERT STOUTS VIEWS. Speaking as the Chief Justice, Sir Robert Stout said that since the secular system of education had been established, there had been a steady decrease in crime. It was also his opinion that there had been a decrease in immorality, but the decrease .in crime was very marked. The introduction of the Bible into Now -Zealand schools would be a ..very bad thing from the point of view of the teachers. It would mean a struggle between people of different'religious bodies to secure the appointment of teacbers of their own particular creed. Creed, in fact, would be the only qualification regarded in such circumstances. The whole educational, system would bo reduced to a denominational ono, as tho denominational party in power would select all the teachers. Thus a very great injury would bo done to the teaching profession.

"UNFAIR. CRITICISM." • THE "WORM" TURNS. ' . Sir Edward Gibbcs, secretary of tho Education Department, submitted u lengthy statement, presenting the Departmental point of view in respect of tho administration of tho education funds. In recent years, went on the speaker, 'he Government had been forced to protect itself against the exorbitant demands of the boards by requiring, in each, individual ■case proof that the particular-grant was justified, and by so doing had iaved the country thousands of pounds by tho postponement or, .rejection. of proposals which there was no sufficient justification, by tho reduction of others to reasonable proportions, and by the more careful consideration and greater economy induced -in.the boards by the knowledge, of the Department's rigid scrutiny. Sir Edward cited a number of cases to illus■trate' this point. For example, in 1!)OJ a school for GO was proposed; objected to ■as exdessive, and as a compromise one for 45 was built; attendance has now, aiter seven years, reached 23/ Again, a request for a new school was refused on foe ground that a neighbouring school K.ur miles distant should be removed at a cost of ,£2O, or the children conveyed.

the school was built without (lie grant, lour years later (1908) the first school was closed, ,„„[ j s sli n c|osell,u iwcAty-tlirco cases were cited, iho result of the first half century of tho boards administration was the' deplorable condition of teachers' salaries that had to be rectified by withdrawing from the manipulation of the boards about 80 per rent of their income. There wore indications now that the wavo of a nalionol education service , ras preparing to overwhelm them, ~ml after that there would not lie much left for tho Iwards to do. In reply to questions Sir Edward Gibbes stud that it appeared to him that (ho only remedy for (he existing financial position was by a'system of local rating.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS. SALARIES TOO LOW. Mr. A de B. Brandon (chairman of the Wellington College- Board of Governors) also gave evidence, and made a ■ statement ?}?•F Fee| e elf'! lf ' Position of the Wellington High (schools, and answered various questions. To Mr. Kirk: The salaries paid were altogether too low-of a hand-to-mouth kind that makes impossible any provision tor old nge. n« could see no way of curtailing their expenditure in other dii-ec-;i°" s /'!>■ m 'm, l ' to illw 'ease the salaries of the stat. lhe margin was too small. i. ir 11 •• ? emc, B - A " ncHiiß-hchdnweter at Wellington College, submitted, in the course of his evidence, statistics in support ot the agitation by the New Zealand Secondary Schools' "Assistants' Association . tor better conditions of salary, and for a scheme of superannuation. Ho also read a paper contributed by Mr. F. M. Renner on the subject of "Hygienic Physiology, and renewed his impressions of the results of the free place system. ■ Evidence on lines given at previous sittings of the Commission was given by Mr. P. G. c Gibbs (headmaster of \he Nelson. Boys School), and Bro. Justin (Marist oros. ocnool). .