BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2181, 20 June 1914, Page 9

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

I (Published by Arraagerticivt.)

0 —> A TEACHER'S'STANDPOINT, By A. INGLIS, M.A., iM.Sc, late Hondmaster o{ the North Scheol. lnver- ; earsill; Ex-I'rcsidcnt Southland T«nc-ft-crs' Institute; now Bimthland Educntion Board. ' . I must confess that the attitude «)i' tlio tcabiiws ot i\'ew Zealand toinu'ds tt-r- subject ol religious mstructwu is s<sinsivhat nerpleiing. So lar as definite intonHHttaft is available, some of 'the District Institutes have either declared, for the existing secular system or siißJiiy leeovded their opposition to the introduction <sf the Australian Bystem; others a'Uain. have made no pronouncement on the subject; while the Southland District Institute has declined to give official support .te either side <in the present controversy. Further, the delegates to the annual meet- ' ing of the New Zealand Educational In.stitute held at New Plymouth lost January decided by a largo majority agatiisv ■ tho programme of the #iM6-in-State- , Schools League. Since, for the reasons stated above, many of the delegates had , no instructions from their Kspective Dftrict Institutes, and recorded ra««y their own personal opinions on the qyeS--1 tion, the voting could not ba regarded SS 1 representative. Norertheless, I ««i con-, strained to say that, if a pltfbisej.ee weio ■ taken, the teachers in favour of the Australian system would bo found to be in a minority—a minority, however, wtoon. » more considerable tban it is generally supposed to be. - . The most perplexing aspect of the ter is, however, the fact that a conference of leading teachers should restoo./ itself to tho passing of a pufely negative resolution stating that it <lid not favour the Australian system whEo it remainett silent on the important qu.es. tion of religious instruction in general. The result is that the N.SMGJ. has, to nil intents and purposes, resnted rtseit into a brancli of the Schools' Defence League, with a consequent Ifisg *|_ power to mould public opinion on the sitbjew. If it were the duty of the Offiflrfl organisation of New Zealand teach-MS to- define its attitude towards the Australian system, it surely was a prior attd ros-re imperative duty, not only to tteelf,'.OTt to the public at large, to say categorically whether it supported any fftrro ot religious instruction in the schools. As matters stand, those delegate #ho -roteil with the majority, but tclio fevcur mlt'ious instruction, liave been pliced in an equivocal position from whicj it is to be hoped better counsels at ttio forthcffimisg annual meeting at Auckland: *ill release them. .. v . • On the general question, I am not m a position to say whether tho teachers of New Zealand-as a whole dieske a sihanse from the present secular system to one that includes some form of Sffrptn-ue lessons. I am aware that the' -concensus <M opinion ainonst educational s-utllpH-tteß all over the world is in favour Of religions, instruction in schools, and I should fca surprised to learn that tils majority gi our teachers bad Tanged themselves on th* onposite side. So far as mv own observntwns have *«=■ abled me to form an opinion; I am d'S' posed to ■ sav that the ejitef objection anion? teachers to the Ansfrnlinn Systoi ii on fears of sectarian ijiffiflilties. Perhaps the chief renson *hy I.«o' ttot share those fears is due to the- I'act that I received the greater part of ?ny pt-WWjf education under a system sefnowltat' Mniilar to that obtaining in ,VirrtteU"s. D'uting mv period of contact with the■ system. I saw or heard of nothintt ifl flic sh-4pe of pectarion trouble, a'ul I cA : n t'l!ftefo.re Teadily accept the evidence {pstilyiiig te the smooth.', working of the system in th« Comi"onwealth. At the pnfflp tima I must sny that the numerous testimonies ft-ow Inspectors of Schools a"d". teachers of standing iii Australi-i and-Tasmania have: not'recci'-ed .it tl"> hands of the teachers (if New Zealand the'considera<iin /lue to them! One of Hie writers' is M*. J. A. .Tohn=nn. VA.. Pr''ie.i"al of Bie'Teyhtii''. TVainirig Colleoro in Tismnftia, md: -formerly """ of .the i"Ott highly fesn'Rcted <if : New Zealand teneh»rs and Prudent C.f. th« > T »'-ir Zealand Tlrlnc'atiftflal "fhstitdte./' I t'>ink T ran venture tho flWerKun' that' had Mr. Johnson mad« a. statement ii'nfavnnrnble tn the Australian s'vstetn. his ■ onin'on would h-ive.been wrofrkianM Ifop> the housetops all over the'' Dai*"'titou. I *„n r»fnnin f-"m M.(if>»» • M'o strit- ' ine testimony of Mr. John n«*-fl-masterof one of the citv nf TVrfh. i .itid. at tl"> time "f writinf t*rh«i*«t: of the State Sel-onl Tt*J«r> «f West- .1 tern Anstra"a. Mr. Tnrter sir*!"From South Australia .!. was an opponent to the introduction of the system, a3 I thought it Tf-oii'ld tend to brand distinction that would 110E b'fl . ■ pleasant; but so far as X 6W see. af* ler seven vears' experience, -my had no foundation in feet _ Yotw Queensland teachers have Wth-Hig to fear in tho introduction of relicts ' instruction, hut will h*ve an added lever to raise the young lives to the . hisrh ideals they so much, desire-."' Contact with teachers on both -Sides of the question has. led mete re'sjiccttlw honest convictions of those vfhose'- vfcirt do not coincide with my own, I cannot close, however, without taking exception to a claim which has been put forward on helialf of teachers as- m -ftrgiitnent against the introduction of tlii? Australian system, but which, I am glajl. to, Say, I have never heard mentioned ty aiiy member of the profession: I refer to the- suggested conscience clause ft)f teiichsrs-. As * loeioal argument, it appears to, me to lack'the essential duality" et wmmen sense, for it would be strange indse'd if it were left to the teacher.* of Nsw Zealand to unearth a violated consE-ienee which thousands of teachers, fa Australia failed to discover after working the system for so many years. FtifcHMn 1 , th* argument savours 0? insincerity.- -ITia'SfttUcli as bur authorised contain lessons wh"Uy or iii part of a character. For example. T Teceiitly piclied out from a bundle of old s'ch<iol ioftrtia-ls tn;enty-six such lessons. Althonsh the matter contained in our tojft-Troofes has never been found to conform, to fts requirements of a purely socli'lar system-, not a single protest on account of- conscientious scriinles has. so %'f as- I am aware ever been made. HofteveT. the State like a"v other employer t>*pects its Servants to <V> the work it softsiaer-S to be necc.'sary. The State Tecog'tßße.3. no ronsoienc'v bruise for the Cwtems offteHH ■ .who fp"ilitate the distribution of spfririt- ■ ou« or for postal, tel°- , tmr>'i aid -railwv servants who are required to sivo their services- on Sitndavs: nor is it likely ttat tl'e Store, 1 should it decide to introduce Scripture lessons i"'o the primary- Fehools eiuficulum. will grant permission to leathers to defeat its will.