FACTS V. FEARS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2207, 21 July 1914, Page 7

FACTS V. FEARS.

THE BIBLE AND THE SCHOOLS,

POINTS AT ISSUE.

.(Published by . Arrangement.); There are two creat facts which rc-ij-u°- , fac ™ in considering tho tfible-m-schooJs question: the first, is, tliat the only proposal now beforo Parliainonfc is to allow tho peoplo to desido tho matter for themselves in the simplest manner possible. The other fact is, that despito their professed belief that the people do not want the Bible in our'Stato schools, tno opponents of the movement aro arraid to let it go. to'a popular vote. MAKE THE NATIONAL SYSTEM SECURE. ■ /The-first objection and the first fear concerning the proposed system that!, is commonly expressed-is that it will upset our splendid nntionnl system of education; but the object of tho Biblo-in-Schools League is to make tho national system secure in the "only way in which that can be done, by the establishment of a. system which commends itself to the conscieuco of tho people more than the secular system has done. The evidence from .the' States where the system . advocated by the Bible-in-Schools League is in existence cannot be set aside. In ,-New .South' Wales, since 1866, there has been no agitation for a change in the system of education.' In the threo States of Australia', where the system has been in vogue for many years, there has been no attack upon it by tho Labour party, even when that party has had a majority in l Parliament. ' This fact in itself is sufficient to show that thqre.is no danger to the national system of education. Mr. J. S. M'Goweu, so long leader and Premier of tho Labour Party of New South Wales, has said: _i "I am afirm .believer in our present public school system." .', '■•■' SECTARIANISM. Another objection is, that the introduotion of this .system would create' sectarian feeling." Similar statements 1 wero made whet : it was proposed to introduce the system • into Queensland and West Australia... :..'.■ . Mr. Denham,, Premier of Queensland; Vas so influenced ; by. these statements that'ho /personally voted against the Bible-in-ichools system.. As the result of experience, if tho opportunity were given to him again ho would reverse his , vote. Teachers had the same objection before the system was introduced, but contact with it removed their objection. .'.:. ■•• -.-... . ■ . • ■■

'As an example,- Mr: J.. Porter, headteacher. Central School for Boys, Warwick, Queensland,- writing on February 17/1914, says: ;. - "Aβ I at; the beginning: was a mild- antagonist, of the movement, you ; will -bo pleased to find that my fears have not been yeri- ' ■■"' fied. 1 look forward to the day of 'Scriptural instruction by the mill--, isters of various denominations with' ' interest, and I am sure the chilSthen enjoy these lessons. There is absolutely no friction • but wo teach- • ers/gladly and cordially welcome tho , ministers, and I for one fully appre ; ciate their work.".. ■",•■■ RBOSELYTISM! .:;

It is also that the proposed Eystoni loads to prosclytism. Thoso who have raised this objection have not prt, duced any evidence to sustain it. There are no'cases on record.' None of the 6maller sects or churches have made any complaint ;jn,tjiis' direction. yhe3lethodist Church;' Baptist; ministers, and Jews are united in their recommendation.of the system. This\ would not be the' case ;if-'.it.. had, beett true' that other churches" had 'been able to take, advantage of the sytsom for proselytising purposes.. Tho Rev. A. G. Smith, ex-President of the Queensland Methodist Conference, writes:— . ■. ','lt has mermt the drawing to- ■ g'ct'her.'of tho ministers of the.vari- .. ous Churches. The fact- that they | can stand on one platform, each - haviugltho utmost confidence, in the other, has attracted not a little at- • tent-ion, arid had it not been for tho intimacies engendered by the Bible- - in-State-Schools work, I .doubt ifthis would have .been possible." THE TEACHERS OR THE PEOPLE. It is objected that no State school teacher should givo Bible lessons. Why not? The schools are tho people's schools; tho teachers are the teachers of;the' people's children. The Bible is not- the property of any sect, and if the State wishes to make a text book pf selections suitable to the child mind, and requests the teachers to supervise the reading of lessons for the children, why should the teacher object when it lias been found to. present no 'difficulty where tho system has been in operation? There are many Roman Catholio teachers; it has been stated that the wiisciences of Roman Catholio teachers and agnostic teachers would be strained and hurt by this task. No evidence in this direction has been presented from., the State where the system is at work. It lias been stated in explanation .of thie by prominent members of' the Schools Defence League that the teachers in those States havo been afraid to voice their objections. But in these States there are- very many teachers who have retired from the service. There are some who have entered Parliament; and th'e teachers are so'independent, that a Teachers' Association is affiliated with the Trades and .Labour Councu. *- THE TEACHER'S CONSCIENCE. .The statement is also made that'the churches are shovelling, their work on to the teachers; but the work of the teachers and tho work of the churches will bo altogether apart from one ■ another. The Church will undertake to pay for their own work;' it will' be additional work, and work that will not be done, in the lime-light. / The teacher I will do the same work' that he does with other literature and with history, for which latter subject he has no conscience clause, although one is proyidedv for the children. No difficulty' has arisen, yet history provides as many opportunities for sectarianism as it is alleged Bible lessons could do. Another objection on the same lines is that the teacher will require theological training for the work of giving these lessons. As the teacher simply supervises, and will not be permitted to give dogmatic teaching, but only to make the literary moaning clear, and to see thnt the child remembers tho lesson, no such training is necessary. TRUST THE PEOPLE. Tho Bible-in-Statc-Schools Leagtio U prepared to trust the teachers, to trust the Bible, and to trust the people. To trust the teachers because they beliere that the teachers of the Dominion compare favourably with the teachers in tho Australian States, where this system has been introduced, and the teachers have found no difficulty.

To trust, the-Bible, because. they recognise that it is the most effective basis for moral teaching, and that the literary and moral education of the ordinary English-speaking- child is not complete without a knowledge of this Book, to which, as King George has said:

"Tho multiplying millions of the English-speaking raco have turned in their -need, and drawn upon its inexhaustible springs of wisdom, courage, and joy." ~ . Trust tho people, because this is a mattor-which should not be settled by a section of tho people, by political leaders,, by ecclesiastical leaders, or by a section of educationalists, but-by the whole people, and,.therefore a referendum is necessary if the whole people— opponents as well as supporters—arc to express their will-