BIBLE-IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1521, 17 August 1912, Page 5

BIBLE-IN SCHOOLS.

THE LEAGUE'S CAMPAIGN, CANON GARLAND INTERVIEWED, Tho Rev. Canon Garland, of Brisbane, who is to conduct a campaign in Now Zealand under tho auspices of tho Biblc-in-Schools movement, arrived in Wellington by tho Tahiti from Sydney on Wednesday. •Interviewed by a representative of 1 w: Dominion, Canon Garland, referring to the position of tho movement as it stood to-day m Australia and Now Zealand, said that a system of religious in- ■ struclion hud existed in Now South Wales ; Siiico ISIiC, in Tasmania since- ISGB, West ,„!!? U ' all 7 sill(;e 1893 > Norfolk Island since 190J, and Queensland in 1910. Where it did not exist, in Victoria, South Australia, and Now Zealand, strong movements were in progress lor its adaption, so (hat it appeared as if there would eventuallybo a uniform system of religious instruction in connection with national education throughout Australasia. "In Queensland," said Canon Garland, i -i! 0 / Jtt,)o,u '- party opposed tlio system bitterly before the recent referendum in that State. At the State general election this year tho party put into their election platform a threat to repeal the Act without consultiig tho .people, provided Ul °. People put them into power." Tho ii V of t ' le I>arl: - v ' 110 Collli i»ied, was all the more extraordinary in view of tho fact that tho Labour Governments ot West Australia and Now South Wales Had shown no disposition to interfere with the system. Perhaps the explanation was to be found in the fact (hat where tho Labour parly had not opposed this system it attained office, but where it had (hey did not succeed in reaching tho Treasury benches. T-ii ~!! as t!l() s ' vslm wrked? Splendidly. _ the community of interest brings the ministers of tho various churches together, and tho children think no more of; being Inked to by .liffoi-ent ministers than they do of being instructed bv different teachers. Again, ministers arranged among themselves for tho division of the work, and interchanged. Such a hapnv co-oporalion of effort suffices to dispel the bogey of sectarianism which, it was suggested, would bo fostered by tho introduction of tho system. Tho State school teacher does not leach religion, ho teaches Senpliiro lessons from the text book provided tor the purpose, and in no has any complaint been made that a loachor has given these lessons impronorly, or used them as a means of prosolvfising. in fact, if jfc W ero possiblo to sav that one section of (ho teachers did better than another, I should bo inclined to say that it was that section whose members are of (ho Roman Catholic faith." With regard to (ho position of the "conscientious objector," Canon Garland said that tho provisions which had been made, to safeguard (ho rights of those who had conscientious objections, to (he system—the conscience clause" was one of tho strongest planks; in tho league's platform. "Let the parents themselves decide," said the speaker. Under the system formal Scripture lessons were given by the teachers, and in addition to theso the ministers visited the schools in school hours. Parents had the right to withdraw their children either lroni the Scripture lessons or from the ministers visit? "With ono exception, tho withdrawals have been so few in number that for statistical uuvposes thev umbo regarded as negligible." Canon Garland's'plan of campaign has not yet been decided upon, and will not be announced until'ho has had an opportunity of conferring with (he executive committee of the league in Christchurch. next week. His headquarters as official organiser of Hie New Zealand Bible-in-WeTl?n"t I 0 b ° loCatocl ilol '° in