THE BIBLE AND THE SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2216, 31 July 1914, Page 9

THE BIBLE AND THE SCHOOLS.

A DISTINGUISHED EDUCATIONALIST'S OPINION. Professor J. j. Findlay, M.A., Ph.D., Professor of Education af Manchester University, in his book, "The Sohool," publisher in the Homo University' Library, advooatos religious instruction In State Schools. "The teacher the servant of the .community, not Its master." Our distinguished visitor advooates the reading of the Bible In the schools; advocates the right of entry; and suggests more'than the New Zealand League is asking—the . right of substitution.

[■■ DEFINITION'OF THE TEACHER.

■, The teacher,- like workers in other V.- Professionsand callingsjhas to'aocepii ; his place, and although to some it may ; be regarded as a derogation of his office, i . JJ®. appears .to mo. to y be • transgressing: !: function when ha olalms to Impose v nls own ideals, his personal philosophy 5,J upon tha, sohool, -These'young V:'= ar e not his own .to handle as he > pleases; they, belong to the' State, to I the home, oftentimes also'to a'Church; ■ and the teacher' Is the servant' of the community, not Its masteri"—("The' 1 School,' page 62.) v ; "The sohool and Its teachers are the • , areatlon of the communitys the teaoh- ; ors spring from 'the people,' and the people control the.schooling,'hence the ,< ethics of tho school; Jts s standards and . ideals are suoh as Its creators fashion. I i%i 'Dewey has - warned ■ us: *1 here cannot be -two - sets of ; ethical, principles, or two forms of ethitfal the-' ory, one for lifeyin the school ajid the ; other for lif6 outsido. of the school." . (Page 64.)' •

„■ STATECRAFT AND SECULAR . i : WESSONS. ■ "Statecraft may "choose, ;to. seek, its ends. by an indifference to the. great, things of life, treating, tho school as' merely a dispensing shop .for so-called secular lessons, .by a despotic oontempt for freedom, ; which'.Will attempt to force uniformity of practice upon ail." (Page lo).} "Theyery..spirit of freedom which lias erected, democratic government d-, mands, that' families shall be free to practise; old faiths and to cherish jthese through' the sclioolirig Which , the child receives." (Page-106.) . ~i .?/ "The Bible can be read,- not as :'an ecclesiastical autrhorityi.,but';as a.' fount of sacred literature, honoured • alike by all the' Churches." (Page 109.) . , '; "The value to tho- scnool society is Great, pimply because they mayi-help: the ohild to bridge the ■ gulf '. between morals and religion, between Churcji and: homo, between secular and divine,i te?tween ,week day and Sabbath Day.!' (Page 110.)

"The grown man can,; of his own molion, bridge this gulf. As wo have " seen already,; he. plays many .parts. He, can, understand;: for : example,' that iho obligations of ethics apply t6 the count-,, as v much as 'the 'house of prayer,'that the voice' of,; God spc.aks.at times on the mountain-top when it has forsaken the cathedral, tmtt faith and works;are often found in separate com-.: pany. . But the'' child cannot .make these distinctions, and if the/statesman, pushing . this unhappy 'quarrel: with the ecclesiastic ( to the extreme,' caii'accept ro compromise: between;, freedom,, .and '.' per£tji tion,: [.the "danger' Is^K^ifie.iif'' leaving . the bhild-mihd ?«s>#,• o?' aspiratioiv and'hope, aiid of the 'discip-, lino" of. ; fear. .True, there, are'.; many, men wlio; find tbat tjiey have.; ''house for religion,"; .and a few who honestly avow that they haVo been d'-rived of this experience, ,but It Is not for them to use the arm of the state Inorder to' deprive the coming race of such' experience.' most men desire, is' not -less religion; but more—not that religion should be banished from the school, but that-it .should 'invade' the' warehouse, the fadtorv, and the forum." (Pages 110 and 111.) ■

v RICHT OF ENTRY. , ' "The demand for'right of entry' Into the public schools seems justified. Nodoubt it is injurious to the harmony of. the school community- for the children to be severed yeok by week into separate, groups ,for worship and /.instruction ; but the severance Is already there, and the. child's. affection . for family,! Church', :and school will not be lessened if ho finds agreement to differ replacing a spirit of But if a suggestion may hero be attempted, I would urge that in place of 'right of entry,' the parent should demand. a right of substitution. For. the proper 'vpnue', for religious instruction is not the'pub-, lie school, with the Anglican - teaching one group in Room X, and the Catholic, another group in Room -.Y; the church. building, the house of God itself, is the first'place of assembly for teaching the distinctive doctrines which the Church'holds dear. . ' And .the clergyman - himself is .the, fittest teacher, not the public school 'teacher, who, in these, un-happy-controversies; finds his allegiance divided between Church and State. It would surely not be difficult for the law to recognise "attendance" once or . inore_ during the .school week in church ' buildings. Already the school children are sent to swimming-baths and 'to Ijlayfields under public /auspices;. ■■ it would bo almost'as easy .to organise a plan for attendance at the ministrations, of the clergy when the parents made a request to that effect." (Pages 111' and 112.)

"And I, for one, should not hesitate" to vote public money to facilitate such arrangements, so long as they were conducted with efficiency ; such influences are at least 'as much a- part of education as instruction in swimming or cookery. And even if the positive result- of occasions seemid to> he, small, even though official educators might cavil at the amateur efforts of the clergy, such criticism would be of small: moment comparer! with the profounder effects .on children's minds in finding reconciliation between religion, and the secular arm., If to this modern world, rent as it is with-tlie passions of' religion and of race, the hone of peace", whether in politics or- religion/seems remote, something at least is gained if the coming race are from early childhood taught by. the example of public .tolerance to honour not only the majesty of the State, but the faith of their fathers." 112 and 113.)