BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2209, 23 July 1914, Page 8

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

MEETING OF TEACHERS OBJECTIONS TO REFERENDUM A special meeting of the Wellington. District Branch of the Teachers' Institute was held in the Education Board's buildings last night to consider the teachers' position with reference to the Religious Instruction in State Schools Keferendum Bill, now before Parliament. Mr. J. Tamblyn presided, and there was a m e . ry large| attendance of members. . Ihe chairman explained that tlfo meeting was called by requisition. The question they were going to consider had been discussed before by them. Since the last occasion, however, it had advanced another stage. He asked members to discuss the subject impersonally, as it affected teachers, and with calmness. There'had been considerable heat shown elsewhere in discussing this matter. Mr. W. Foster, headmaster of the Petone District High School, opened tho discussion by moving:—"That this meeting of the Wellington District Institute earnestly protests against the passing of tho Religious Instruction in Schools Referendum Bill on the following grounds: (1) That it proposes to decide a religious issue by a majority vote;' (2) that it proposes to legalise a right of entry —so far undeiinea —for the ciergy, or-substitutes, into the schools. during school hours, to give sectarian religious teaching; (b) that it proposes to legalise the segregation of titate ; school children into sectarian groups in the schools during school hours; (4) that it gives to parents a conscience clause, that is, a right to ckiim exemption from attendance at such sectarian.religious teaching, whereas in any compulsory State system of education, parents should oe given the right to claim admission to these lessons seeing that they are. outside tho ordinary secular curriculum; (5) that it seeks to impose on teachers who have entered the service of the State without a religious test, the j giving of religious instruction without the option of exercising a conscience clause." . Flight of Conscience. The mover said it seemed to him a fitting time that they (the teachers) should express some opinion 'on the question one way or the other. He wished to make it clear that the attitude he took up was not against religion or the Bible. The schools were primarily a matter for chiloren, secondly they were a for:teachers, and it was one of their duties to show their employers what stand they (the teachers; toon in the matter.. '.Referring to tho. first portion of his motion, ivir. Foster- said that although a teacher; he was a citizen, and he positively objected to a referendum being taken on a .matter affecting his 'conscience, in respect to the' second portion of his motion,, Air. Foster asked 'where they were going to stand in schools where the clergy bad the right of entry "Of.course," he said, "1- will be answered by references to the New. •South Wales .system. Tho .truth,' however, has nover been told about the New South Wales system. New South Wales stands ;7U years behind New Zealand in tho matter of education." Tho present system had" been introduced to overcomp the bigger evil of denominational teacliing, largely at tho hands, of the' English Church. in seconding tho motion, Mr. J. C. Webb (headmaster of Thomdon School) said ho agreed with every word' uttered by tho mover. He vigorously protested against any "tamporings" with bib conscience. Dissentient Views,, Mr. G. Flux (headmaster of' South Wellington School) said that he considered that not an atom of what had been said already, that evening had moved any of'them; one way.'or the other'-.from their previous convictions. As'he had previously stated, he was a simple school teacher, who thought that thaintroduction of the Bible into the school waß to a bettermentLof existing conditions. Ho would vote against the motion. •' .' . ■ ■. ■ In opposing the motion, .Mr. ■ B. H. Ballachoy stressed the. point-.that tho subject should not' be made a political party ono. 1 Such would bo l disastrous. The right way was to decide the question in a non-party way. ilf put to the vote of tho people the majority should rule. If the Bible were introduced into State schools the speaker was sure that there would not be all the trouble that had been '.predicted. * After, further debate, the motion was carried by 44 votes to 11. • ' 1 APPRECIATION. RESOLUTIONS OF SUPPORTERS, Tho members of Holy Trinity Church,Groy mouth; the Church of the Resurrection, Cobdon' (Anglican), the Methodist Church, Greymouth; as well as the Salvation Army,' Greymouth, and tho congregation of St. John's Presbyterian Church, Greymouth, have all passed I resolutions expressing.- their '• appreciation of the a'otion of the Government in introducing the Referendum Bill, and calling on the member for' the district to support the Bill as introduced. The Salvation Army of Linwood, the Salvation Array at Ohristchurch, and tho, Salvation Army Band of Linwood passed similar resolutions. The congregation's of St. David's .'Presbyterian Church,., Cliristchuroh, the New Brighton branch of. the Bible-in-Schools League, the quarterly meeting •of the Mastorton Methodist 'Circuit, the C.E.M.S. of ltangiora, and also of AVoolston, have nil.-passed resolutions, of- appreciation. The congregations of Holy Trinity Ghurch, Lyttelton; St. John's Church, Okain's Bay; St. Luke's Church, Little Akaloa; the Anglican-congregations of Hinds and of Coldstream also passed resolutions to the same effect. Resolutions v of appreciation were passed by the 'vestry of the Church of tho Nativity, Blenheim; by the' vestry- of All Saints' Church, Prebbleton; and by the Kirk Session of the Lincoln and Prebbleton' Presbyterian .Churches.