BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 31 October 1914, Page 14

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS

FURTHER EVIDENCE CASE FOR THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE MR. J. CAUGHLEY SPEAKS Yesterday tho Education Committee of tho Houso of! Representatives continued tho hearing of evidence on the Religious Instruction in Schools Referendum Bill. Mr. G. M. Thomson, M.P., presided over the Committee. Evidence was given by Mr. John Caughley, M.A., who appeared as the authorised representative of the New Zealand Education Institute. , Mr. Caughley said that the Bill would make possible one of the most revolutionary changes in our educational system, in tho relation of the State to religion, and in tho constitution of our Legislature. Yet. it was proposed that Parliament should, without dealing with the merits of the changes proposed, pass the whole question over to the decision of the individual voter, who would vote on impulso, on sentiment, on religious prejudice, but would certainly not be able to examine the issues involved, nor appreciate tho constitutional and educational questions which, even if put before him, would be outside the powers of the average elector. He would be appealed to to support the Bible, and to give the Book to the children, and he would see little else in this revolution. Only a great and glaring disastrous defect in our present educational system would justify the excitement aroused by the organisers of the Bible-in-Schdols League in their movement; no slight defect would justify it. Tho named "secular" had been extensively mis-used as applied to the present system, but it did not mean (in this sense) anti-religion, but ■ meant_ abstention from the teaching of religious subjects owing to the State's inability to give such lessons on the same fair and equitable footing as it. gives instruction in the non-rehgious subjects. It was sectarianism, not secularism, that limited th State's teaching to non-religious, or secular, subjects.' In Now Zealand the supporters of the secular system included large-bodies of Christians, a largo number of Protestant- ministers, and a large proportion of 'the very denominations which were officially supporting the Bible-in-Schools League. Surely these were not to be branded as secularists and enemies of the Bible, or as people -.who would forbid the Bible to the children. . Necessitv, Not Choice. It was not of choice, but of necessity, said Mr.. Caughley. ' that the State taught only non-religious It could not put into the schools of all the people any. form of religious instruction that could be utilised by only some of the people. ' Neither could the State justly force a teacher to give reli- , gions instruction contrary to the principles of the Church to which he belonged. 'The Bible, being the basis of all the contentions of the sects, could not fairly bo introduced into the State schools as a basis of instruction. ~ Mr. Caughley claimed,that the present-sys-tem met the growing needs of the child's character, and said that tho type of children largely justified the claim. The Bible-in-Schools. League's charge of "secularism" rebounded on their own system, under which there would be just that kind of teaching for at least twenty-one out of twenty-fivo hours per week. The official organiser of the league, and other exponents of its schemo, vied with one another in declaring how little tho_ teachers would ''teach" when giving Bible lessons, but they did, not agiee 'as to what the teacher really would do; they contradicted one aaiother. It was.said that tho Bible was to be read as any. other Book, but sucH a thing was impossible, for he Bible -was like no other Book, and its author like no other author. ' The cry of Testore the' Bible was I really a demand to restore denominational schools under the State. He claimed that, where the State left religion and Teligious instruction to the proper agencies, thosle agencies were most active, and made- the most effectico effort-.te meet their responsibilities. Where the State took a hand, it deadened religion and cramped its free, voluntary nature by restrictions necessarily imposed.. Now Zealand had as high' a proportion of Sunday scholars as any country in the world. Those who were'making "all this stir" should prove that the present system was doing injustice to the children and resulting in deterioration of the national character. Australian Comparisons. Mr. Caughley, comparing New- South Wales with Victoria, said that for over fifty years New: South Wales had relied largely on a "State-given travesty of roligious instruction of its children," while Victoria- had refused to nieddle in religious instruction. Taking the average for the'years 1901 to_ 1910, it was found that on a population basis New South Wales had fifty per cent, more summary convictions than Victoria, sixty per cent, more Supremo Court convictions for serious crime, eighty per cent, more divorces, twentythree per cent, moro illegitimate births, forty-nve per cent, more people in gjiol, and 59 per cent, more drunkenness. In the. period, drunkonness decreased in Victoria from 135 to 97 per 10,000, while in the same period'it increased in New South Wales from 110 to 175 per 10,000. -..'.■.'■ Mr. Caughley criticised the fact of the absence of a conscience clause for teachers, and the demand for tho right of entry for' ministers. In Australia the ministers, in a very large proportion of cases, did not take advantage of the right of entry to teach Bible lessons in the schools; lay helpers were secured. "We," he continued, "confidently place this: matter of the teachers' rights of conscience in_ the hands of Parliament, even if it is 'sternly resisted' by a League which would crush conscience with the Bible." The teachers could never consent to be compelled to take part in the League's tin-Scriptural, and, in the light of their, gross injustice, its utterly unchristian proposals. Cross-examination. Mr. Caughley was then cross-exam-ined by Canon Garland, the organiser for the Bible-in-State-Schools' League,. Canon Garland asked the witness if he thought the ninety out of well over 1000 Protestant.ministers was a "large number" to get to sign a petition against ' the Bible-in-Schools movement. Mr. Caughley said that ninety were sufficient to . redeem the opposition to tho Bill from the charge of being materialistic. Those who 'had signed the petition, ho added, were the brave men who had had the courage to come out in opposition to their church. Double the number who signed were of the same opinion, but .would not sign. - _ Referring to Mr. Caug'hley's comparison of Victoria with New South Wales, ■■ Canon Garland asked the witness how h) could say that the two States were ■remarkably alike when Now South Wales was nearly four times as large as Victoria. , Mr. Caughley replied that in the western half of New South Wales only 18.000 people lived. Tlio committee has adjourned till 10.30 a.m. on Friday. The cross-ex-amination of Mr. Caughley will then be continued.