LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1602, 20 November 1912, Page 5

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS. Sir, In view of. the resolution arrived at by tho General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church regarding the question of Bible-in-schools, I trust, you will bo able. to find room for tho following. (It is taken from the Glasgow "Herald" -of June 5 last):— "SCHOOL TEACHER AND HER RELIGIOUS FAITH. "INQUIRY REGARDING DISMISSAL. "Tho Scotch Education Department held an inquiry last* night into the circumstances of tho dismissal by tho Dalziel School Board of .Miss Janette W. Marshall, M.A., one of thoir teachers, who, it was alleged, was no longer capablo of giving religious instruction in the school reason of her having changed her relignous faith from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism. The inquiry was held in the board-room at Merry Street School, Motherwell, and was conducted by Dr. A. R. Andrew, H.M. Inspector of Schools. The proceedings were conducted in public, but wero open only to representatives of the press. Miss Marshall was in attendance. Dr. Andrew explained that lie had been sent by tho Department to hold the inquiry under Section 21 of tho Act. Broadly speaking, Dr. Andrew proceeded, Miss Marshall came into the board's employment in August, 1910, and there was no doubt about her efficiency, but Miss Marshall saw fit to change her religious faith and was received into tha Catholic Church in December, 1911. When that camo under the notice ot the bui.rd they considered that it unfitted her to teacn religion to tho infants of ICnowetop School, and subsequently the board, by eight, votes to three, dismissed her. The inquiry should 'bear on .the pointS—(l) How lar did this chango of faith on tho part of Miss Marshall render her incompetent to discharge her duties. (2) If tho,board's contention -of- her inability to givo 'religious instruction was good, he. would like to know whether she might not be relieved of that work without ilis« the arrangements of the school. "The Rev. Dr. Scott, chairman of tho board, presented the case on behalf of the toarfl. When lie.saw Miss Marshall he suggested to her that she could not present tho religious lessohs ,as the board desired, but she said she could, although that was not the view the. board took. "Dr. Andrew: Does your statement imply that tho fact that she changed her. iaith made it impossiblo for her to give Bible-lessons? i "Dr. Scott; Yes. No good Catholic can do it. The board felt it necessary to dispense with Miss Marshall's services—first, because her change of creed disqualified her from giving instruction- in religious knowledgo and History to the children attending Knowetop School;.. second, tho presence on the school staff of a teacher so disqualified interfered with the working arrangements of the school; third, the retention of such a teacher was calculated to produco friction between the school and the parents of the children attending j it and to be a disturbing element in the peace of tho parish, and in view of Miss Marshall's refusal-to resign, the "painful alternativu (,f dismissal wa? regretfully .adopted. When Miss Marshall came to nis house, and when he suggested sho should resign, she replied that she would, not like.to go away till she got her parchment, 1 and she said she would not bo defiant. But when ho saw her. later at Knowetop School, she was firmer, and said she might not get such a good place under the Catholic Church, which, he admitted, was probable.. She maintained that she was as fit as ever to give religious instruction. , • "Dr.' Andrew: You maintain that still? "Miss.Marshall: I do. . "THE TEACHING 1 OF HISTORY. "Dr. Andrew said he observed that it was stated that she was; unable for her duties becauso she could not" teach History, but as a matter of fact sho '3..s no history to teach.- . "Tho Rev. J, R. Cantlay: But thoboard. may, ask her to .teach in any other class or in another school. . "Tho Rev. Thomas Marshall said there was o history examination in the schools this week, and two of tho questions asked tho pupils to state what they knew about John .Tvnox and the Scottish Reformation, and he held that they must have certain views in order to teach it properly., ■ "Dr. Andrew said ho took it tli.it the main contention of the board was that because she wj& a Catholic she was not capable of continuing us a teacher in a board school. "Dr. Scott: We do not say that 'wo would dismiss her simply bccausc she is a Catholic. • -"Mr. M'Kenna:, Wo are prepared to prove, that it was'because of her religion, that she was dismissed. "Mr. G." T. Brough, headmaster at Knowetop School, in answer to Dr. Andrew, said there was a certain amount of inconvenience caused by having to arrange for other teachers taking Miss Marshall's class for religious instruction, and it did not .add to the efficiency of the school. Ho had had at least two complaints from parents who objected to their children being taught by Miss Marshall. . "Dr. Graham pointed out that from a plebiscite ho had taken of the parents of the children of Miss' Marshall's class 30 desired hel dismissal, eight did not object to. her teaching other subjeots than relgion, and thero was one spoiled paper. "Mr. J. '-B. Allan said that he ! noticed that Canon M'Carthy, in a letter in theGlasgow 'Herald' had declared that no Roman Catholic could conscientiously give religions instruction in board nchools, but Miss Marshall declared that sho could. The board expected tlw department to support them in this matter, as /ivn adverse judgment would bo a voto of censuro upon them, and would create a serious situation all over tho kingdom. "Mr. M'Keuna, 'as one of the minorih of the board, presented a long statement,, during the delivery of which a wranglo took place botween him and Mr. Ferguson. Mr. M'Kenna maintained that. Miss Marshall had been illegally dismissed, and was entitled to get decent compensation 'foT all tho abuse sho had suffered in bhe matter.' "Miss Marshall, who was tho last ■ to make a statement, said she had never taught history, so that if- the board considered her incompetent to teach history it could not be tho reason for her immediate dismissal. Tho board said ahe was not oompetent to give Bible lessons, but that was a subject the department took no cognisance of, and when 6he was engaged no question was asked as to whether she was willing to teach .religion. She never contracted to give up liberty of conscience or not to change her personal religious viowa, therefore she had broken no contract with.the board. "The inquiry, which at times was of a lively description, several stormy passages taking place between Mr. Ferguson and Dr. Andrew, whom Mr. Ferguson accused of being partial to -Miss Marshall, ended with a vote of thanks to Dr. Andrew. A report will be presented to the Department,, who will in due course give their decision." To my own personal knowledge thero are many parts of Scotland whero t'-ath-ers belonging to only one particular - (either Established or Free) have the remotest chance of securing an appointment, and yet the Bible teaching there is "undenominational"! No rue can deny, too, that Scotland is educationally and-culturally far ahead of NonSouth Wales, and perhaps even of New Zealand, and yet wo are asked to treliove that tilers is not the slightest possjbility • of sectarian interference or friction in i connection frith the atifwintment of ■ teachers ahd the, thanagement of tho i Behoof ; in N.ew Zealand should Bible- > teaebpg be .ihtrodhced..ilito. out i&tipnal I system: As .9 matter of fact, there exists j as ij 5,3 a great deal ■of sectarian interl fersncs and intrigue, in connection .inth 1 frath th.3, ftjjiointmen.t 6f .teachag the 5 of .schMU iir thj? Dominion; t and Vrfeat is wanted is the complete elim- ' ination of silch pernicious practices, and not the introduction of the Bibla ir.to . oiir State schools, which would inevitably 1 lead to a wholesale extension of th"m. Lot us see to it that there be (as tl « lr.te > Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman once put it) "uo statutory foothold for sectarian , privilege in our public school system." * From a copy of the "Scotsman" (of later dote) T learn that the department > found 'that the School Board was "r.ot , reasonably justified in dismissing Miss ; •Marshall," but all it had the courago to suggest was that Miss Marshall be al- » lowed throe mouths' salary! Had tho U.bwid besA asked to reinstate Miss

shall there can be 110 doubt Presbyterian •Scotland would be greatly disturbed. The "Scotsman" deals with other enses of a somewhat similar character. The fact is that in muiiy parts of Scotland the teachers have not the "life of a dog of it," because of sectarian influences.— I am, etc,, HUGH MACKENZIE.