TEACHERS ON BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1843, 1 September 1913, Page 4

TEACHERS ON BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

—■ —0 | INSTITUTE SPEECHES. NELSON SYSTEM FAVOURED ON A CLOSE VOTE. A lengthy discussion took place 011 the Bible-in-chools question at the last meeting of the Wellington District Teachers' Institute, at which something like forty teachers wore present. The discussion arose out of a notice of motion standing in tho name of Mr. A. H. Parkinson, secretary of tho New Zealand Educational Institute. Tho motion read as follows: — "That this district institute, whilo i'eeling bound in defence aliko of the national system of education and of the personal liberty of teachers, to oppose to the uttermost the 1 programme of tho Bible-in-Schools League, would welcome any effort on tho part of tho clergy to introduce into the schools of thid district tho Nelson system of Bible lessons." Mr. Parkinson said that he believed, and ho knew that a great many others believed that the programmo of tho Bible-in-Schools Lcaguo constituted a danger to tho present system. Under tho existing system tho State provided a necessary minimum of education for all* In the education provided by tho State, general, moral teaching was included, but religion, as distinct from morals, was excluded from State interference —for tho reason that it had no 1 light to interfere with a matter which was purely one of conscience. Mr. Parkinson then went on to refer to tho position of tlio Roman Catholics, who had separated thorn solves in the matter of education from the rest of the community,- and claimed State aid for thoir schools. In its reply, tho State had ever _ adopted a neutral position, and, if it now departed from that position by yielding to the request of the Biblc-in-Schools League, that would constitute such an addition to tho grievanco under which the Roman Catholics claim (and under which many others admitted that they wore suffering) that thero would be strong reason to believe that the spirit of fair play would prompt financial aid to the Roman Catholic schools. The result of this would- be the immediate putting fortli of like demands by other churches. The collapse of our system as a national system would then bo a matter of a year or two only. The proposal, threatened tho personal liberty of tlie teachcrs. It had been said that it did/ not do so in New South Wales, but this was a mere begging of the question, for the conditions of the teachers in New South Wales were not the. samo ns they wcro here. Tho proposed system of the Bible-in-Schools Leaguo would have tho result, iin the vast majority of cases, of making school committee elections tests of sectarian 'strength. It would go without saying that sectarian committees would elect board members of like colour, Where then was the security for,teachers of a peaceful pursuit of thoir profession? Tho teacher, who happened to be a member of a minor scct, or of no scct, had thei: better seek some other, occupation, Having outlined the danger to tho national system and tho disaster to tjic teaching profession if tho leaguo'; prayer wcro granted l , Mr. Parkinsoi: < proceodt-d to discuss tho remedy. This was tho Nelson system, which acknowledged tho sanctity of religion, lefi , parents free to choose or reject it, anc , gave p. general religious teaching in the day school, while leaving special • to the Sunday school and home. Jlr. Parkinson pointed out various other i phases of tho Nelson system, which, ho 6aid, was capablo of expansion under the present Act up to fivo hours a week. Abovo all, it avoided tho evils of sectaria.il bitterness, of which wo had had examples in this city.. The opportunity now lay opon to those who were earnestly interested in tho teaching of religion to tho young. ' Tho schools were full of i children, who, wo were told on Nbigk j authority, were growing up "Godless > heathen," and tho. doors of the schools . were open to admit teachers of religion . —but the teachers passed by tho open . door and clamoured for a ballot box. . ■ Mr. D. A. Leslie, who seconded tho motion, stated that he had had tho J pleasure of working for six years in a x school at Gisborne. where tho Nelson [ system was in operation, and it had r been found to work satisfactorily. Sixtytwo per cent, of tho ohildrcn had availed, themselves of these lessons, and ho " could seo nothing but good from them. I Tho on® weakness in the system was that the. children, whom tho ministers ' wanted to got hold of, did not avail themselves of the lessons. : Mr. D. M. Poison said that, if teachers were debarred by law from " giving this religious instruction, ho ' would.bo very glad to support tho Nel- ® son system; ; Mr. Cowles expressed himsolf as right against tlie Nelson system or any other system that would interfero with tho present order of things, though ho himself was a product of tho Nelson " system. ? Mr. G. Flux stated there was one j great difference between tho Australian teachors and those here, in that ' all appointments in Australia were cen--1" tralised. Hovc/er, thero was a great f .demand for religious instruction, and I' it was going to como if not in this form '' (tho Bible-in-schools programme) then in somo other. Ho was quito suro that the people would not be put aside. ' Th'oso wiho knew both systems had no '' doubt that tho Bible in schools as carl ' ried out in Australia was the better one. There was ono point where tho Nelson system broke down, that was l ~ that tho very children, who needed the f instruction most, did not get it. In adr" dition it only worked in tho centres, l ~ and did not readi tho back-blocks. The l " Bible-in-Schools' League proposition, though it was .not perfect, did reach tho back-blocks. It also provided that where children did not take 'part in the religiouß lessons they were going on with secular instruction, whereas the Nelson system left them in the playground. 0 Mr. J. C. Webb said that lie was pery fcctly sure that whatever system was s introduced it was no use of talking II about compulsion.. The moment " that one tried to compel a e religious conscience there was going In Iw trouble. Ho could not seo any- »■ thing else hut this: "If you introduce tho Bible-in-Schools League programme " you will liavo compulsion." Tho shaker ir drew attention to a case that came undor his notice some years ago, which '- convinced him that a sectarian flight was 1S being carried on in connection with a y teacher's application for a position. If h that were possiblo live yeara ago what h might not be possiblo now if a compulh sorv system were introduced. j. Sir.'W. T. Grundy, after giving zr% ■ 9 explanation of what had led up to tho 0 giving of religious lessons in his school, adjured those present to do all in their power to keep this question outside the schools. (Hear, hear.) :h Mr. Ballachey, who spoke in favour 20 of the Bible-in-Schools League's proa gramme, pointed out that the Roman '■« Catholics were not only lighting against ' tlie Bible-in-Schools League, but against secular education. What they wanted ■ —and they were quito honest about it— was denoniinationalisni. And he felt suro that in tho way that things were going they were likely to get a grant v for their 'schools. qI Mr. Trainer supported the motion, beoauw he thoueht that tho Nelson its-.

tern was the lesser evil of the two. But he did not want to see Bible lessons introduced into tho schools at all. On being put to the meeting, the resolution moved by Mr. Parkinson was carried. Several of those present did not- vote.