BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2193, 4 July 1914, Page 3

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

BY N. R. M'KENZIE, INSPECTOR OF SCHIOLg.

I am not a member of the Bible-in-Schools League. I am not in my way coiil nectcd with the League; I come in as an outsider. I speak from tie .paint of view of one who takes an interest, in education in its .very widest aspect, and I ass of the same opinion as most modern educators-that no education is esapMe, unless it includes religious instruction. If the State is' to control education., jt must control the whole of it, and make it a complete education.

I take a public part in this matter with extreme reluctance., o« account of the official position which I hold. I should not take part at all, were it not that other officials have interfered very actively in the matter, and I think it is oftly right that the public should know that there are some educationalist's in Sew Zealand who do not oppose Bible-reading- in schools.

I may say that at. one time I did oppose Bible-reading in sehsols, tat was obliged to change my mind, for two reasons: ono was tho fact tliat'l repeatedly found ' my, pupils appallingly ignorant of Bible knowledge, go ignorant that they were not able' to understand many of the simple references, in tho- reading lessons. I felt .that this ignorance would be reflected in their conduct., sad I aim mte it was. 'The' other was this: som&,years ago I paid a long visit to Australia. I went armed with letters of introduction from our' Education Board to the Ministers for Public; Instruction in the different States. The result was that every msiitufoE was thrown open to me. I had very special opportunities of making enq.Hirfes with regard to the educational systems of the States I visited. Among..other thins*, I ENQUIRED INTO THE WORKING OF THE RELIGIOUS INSTEUCTiO!* IN THE SCHOOLS OF N.S.W.. AND FOUND THE SYSTEM WORKING ABSOLUTELY ADMIRABLY. I have read, as you have done, SOME OF tSS TESTIMONIALS CIRCULATED BY THE. BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS -ISAGTIE, I KNOW QUITE A' NUMBER OF THE MEN WHO WROTE THESE TESTIMONIALS, I KNOW THE FACTS OF THE CASE, AND I CAN ADD MY TESIIMOSY-TO THEIRS: THEY HAVE NOT AT ALL OVER-STATED THE-GASE. One or two of the opponents of this scheme, men who have never be-ftp. to Australia, tried to prove that the N.S.W. teachers cannot be relied topfln, that tk-y said all those things to please the Department. • Now, I will tell you. something about these men. Their' fear of the Department is so small that jifst recently they formed a Trades Union, registered'under the Arbitration Act, arid they intcral txs bring the Minister of Public Education before tho Arbitration Court to g«t a rise in wages. These aro'the men who aro afraid of the Head pf tho Department! When they go.to such lengths to get their salaries raised, it is only fair to assume * that, if they, were smarting under this infliction of religious; isretruivtioß, they would have something, to say on that subject too. The gentlemen who have tried, to discredit the evidence submitted by the New South Wales teachers have placed themselves in the same condejruialion; for they, also, : are engaged in tho public education service— primary , .and univMsity—aiid they cannot claim immunity from the frailties of human astute, .Aich they so freely attribute to' their Australian brethren. '"'.'>■'•; THE OVERLOADING OF THE SYLLABUS. Some teachers look upon Bible-reading as a new subject to be added tq a syllabus which they ,say is already overloaded, but in this they are imstaksji. Year by year the .courso of reading in our schools is being extended,. It is .fiiund within certain limits the wider.the courso the better the results* TJj* isfo'odtictioii of a Bible text book will lead to the exclusion of some other reader. It will not increase the pupil's burden. Probably two Bible lessons a week Trill be given—smi by the teacher and one by tho.visiting minister) THE "SECULAR" OBJECTION. A great feature has been made of this assertion: "Modern States arc •Mci.tlnr, and should preserve neutrality -in''religious instruction." '■ v I Are modern States secular? Let us sea. At'theKing's Coronation'the ceremony is distinctly'a religious ceremony, Before the King is crowned, he has to take a very definite oath to uphold a certain form.of religion. Msi take' s penny, or '■ any other coin, and you. will sea there the King's name, and his title, which, translated into English, reads: "George the Fifth, BY THE GRACE OF GOD, E% of all Britains, DEFENDER.OF THE FAITH, and Emperor of ladia." In cvwy part of tho British Empire Parliament is opened with prayer; in ouv Law. Cmims, as a rule, evidence is taken on cath; in the Army, in the Navy, and in the gaols we have chaplains; the Government Gazette notices usually end .with a prayer, "God Save the King."' Does this look like a secular State? > i CENTRALISATION OF APPOINTMENTS., New Zealand teachers oppose this for one reason,; and I think thisf; they have some grounds (perhaps not such strong grounds as they think) ftt bpposiiig the introduction, of this system before another slight alteration, is toadeip the Acts I speak of the question of appointments. The teachers as a body o.ra not an irreligious body. To'say they are is a libel. Nothing can be more untrue. They aw afraid, as I said (with some cause possibly), that'appointments might ho nffefert if this system came in, but wo hope and we are. very nearly . state; 'that'BEFORE : MANY MONTHS HAVE ELAPSED THE PRESENT. METH-O't, OF APPOINT- j MENT WILL' BE ABOLISHED, AND IT WILL' BE REPLACED BY A MORE SATISFACTORY" METHOD, where tho question of a man's religions convietiaws • cannot possibly affect his right lo appointment. At, the present timts in Auckland and Wanganui a centralised system of appointment exists. Tcache'rs of Aiict;!a»d and Wanganui have absolutely nothing to, fear ..-from the inl.rodq.cOon of Biblo reading. THE TEACHER'S CONSCIENCE. There is another point that is rather amusing in.a way—the .great display that has been made of the teacher's conscience. I want to say at the. outset- that I have never seen a teacher exhibit that conscience of his. Other people da it for him. The teacher's objection is not a conscientious objection at til I dii not know one teacher who is an atheist. I do not know one teacher to whom I would not . entrust the religious instruction of my children as far as it is fever, likely to- be required from teachers. I should like to make it perfectly clear that this .conscientious objection does not como from teachers. As a matter csf fact, SUPPOSING A TEACHER HAD A CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION TO REA.BLKG 'A CERTAIN LESSON, THERE IS-NOTHING IN THE WORM TO PREVENT HIS MISSING'THAT'LESSON. HE IS,NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE BVEEY t LESSON IN THE BOOK. Several;opponents say: "Under the proposed system feachers would be required to undergo a religious test, and those who MI to io m would" be dismissed." Now, this is PERFECT NONSENSE. This system is in force in four States of Australia, and THESE MEN CANNOT POl'itX' TO ONE' SINGLE INSTANCE WHERE A RELIGIOUS TEST HAS BEEN APPLIED. They have not been able to point to one case of dismissal; they hate tailed 'ro .quote one case of friction. On the other hand, the unanimous'- testi-moiiy of all that know is given in tho other direction. It all goes to 6hew that the system works with perfect harmony among the children and teachers, between teachers and clergy, and between teachers and parents. SECTARIANISM. The fear of sectarianism among children is another fine bogey. We have overwhelming evidence that nothing of the kind ever happens. MY OWJff INVES* TIGATIONS IN AUSTRALIA CONFIRM THAT VIEW.. On the contrary, it has a tendency to draw people together. , When a certain gentleman spoke he strongly emphasised the fact that tho Queensland referendum was carried by only 27 per cent, of the votes. Now, tho Queensland inspectors say that for two years the thing has tun qaito smoothly. If the public, were against it, what incentive would the Inspectors have to say that it was Tunning smoothly? The temptation would bo to condemn ths innovation. Again, if the public were antagonistic, they would place difficulties in the way, and would be unfriendly critics. Our friend laid such emphasis oft the statement that only 27 per cent, wanted the Bible, and yot we find that the pep.pfo are perfectly satisfied with it now they have it. The statistics used by opponents of religions instruction in scheolsarenot corr-eot. Indeed, so far as I have been able to check them, they aro <serio.nsly atoms,-and by a strange coincidence all the 6rroM are on one side. Here nve soihe of the facts: It was stated that in West Australia only half*the schools and less than tho pupils were visited by ministers, fhe tfitt.lt is that 311 out of the 53G schools in tho State received visits, and the aterage atta'tkiiiM at the'ministers'classes was 19,82.1 out of a total average of 32.950. It was :ifco stated that only 25 per cent, of the children in Queensland selioela went visited by ministers. The fact is this: The total average, attendance -pits' 7?,355 for the year 1912. In the month of November alone an average of 29,»'6'fi rcccifft.l Bible instruction. This is not 25 per cent., but 38.5 per cent. The statistics referred to were used to censure the ministers tor neglect af <iHity, A visit to Australia would give the accuser an idea of the sparsen-ess of the population, the difficulties of transit, and the enoimous distances between country whooia inecattered districts, We have nothing in our small country te cotoparo with \ustralian conditions,