CHURCH SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2816, 6 July 1916, Page 7

CHURCH SCHOOLS

DISCUSSED BY SYNOD COMMITTEE SET IP Last evening the Anglican Synod continued its discussion of the following motion, which the Rev. R. Franklin brought forward on Tuesday:— "That this Synod is convinced that there must be a religious foundation for all true national life, and therefore while reaffirming its adherence to the aims of tho Biblc-in-Schools League, urges vpon churchmen tho importance of establishing Church schools where definite religious instruction may bo given, and for this purpose sets up a committee to deal with tho matter; such school committee to consist of tho following, villi' power to add lo their number:—J lie Veil. Archdeacon H. Reeve, tho Revs. C 1?. Askow, E. G. Ctedtburne, J. G. T. Castle, C. H. Grant Cowen, A. H. Johnson, A. W. Payne, .7. Walker, 11. Watson, Mess].*. W. J. Bireh, G. Flux, J. W. Henderson', W. F. Jacol, J-. Martin, A. J. Rutherford, It. L. Button, and tho movur."

'J'ho Rev. Mr. Cowan supported thft motion, but regretted its iwcessr.y. 'llwio irould not, he said, have tbn juiessity hiid the Government done its duty. Hojvas pleased to sob that tho Wiliister of Education was coming round to their ■view, aniT was alive -to ■ tho fnct that thoro were greater things to teach than mathematics. Possibly the present Parliament would realise in the light of tho war that they had spnoml (iuties toward tho young.. Children nero : glowing up without a knowlcdgo of tho li:blc. The, State did not caro at ail about the moral or the spiritual wclf/iie of the young. That was one .position wnon the State denied t!,t> rujiit to introduce the Bible into tho schools. Voices! No! • Tho present motion, Mr. Cowan, continued, was a solution of the. difficulty. Church, .schools would relievo r/the other schools of half of their 'pupils. The Church schools would liavo to be superior in overy way to tho State schools, giving tho parents absolute confidence. He trusted'that-members of th-3 Synod would take the matter to heart. They wanted to interest the thousands who had worked in tho interests of Bible-in-sohools: Tho Rev.. Spencer- was of opinion that tho matter was one which could bo gone ono with without hesitation. lie .had visited many" secondary. schools in tho Dominion, and tho headmasters were all in favour of religions teaching in. their sohools. They realised that they had a duty to perform in seeing that tho child, renof the poor. had fuLI access to. the schools which were now limited to . the well-to-do.. That was tho only difficulty. Tho.'Kov. J. Y. Woodward said that Chuvch schools would make the Bible-in-schols impossible, and vice versa. What would their allies—the Bible-in-schools League—say it' tho motion was carried ? This was a. question of the greatest importance before tho Cliuxch. A definite stand must bo riiado now to enablo children, rich antf poor, to obtain religious instruction. .The nation neetted a. lead from tho Ch.urch.-7-a lead fro ma. strong Church. He moved the following amend-ment-.—"That .this' Synod, feeling, convinced that there inust be religious instruction for a true foundation of national life, is of, opinion, that 'immediate action should bo taken, and recommends tliat an appeal bo mado to tho Bible-ia-Schools League to.declare to its mombors its future propaganda; that in its failuro to do so it urges upon the Church people the necessity of establishing primary and secondary Church schools, wliere'definite religious instruction may bo given, and for this purpose set up a committee to deal with the matter." The Rev. Woodward said that if. the league inteuded to bo inactive then the Church would move.

The Kev. Walker said that the Church had its own duty to perform. People wero feeling tho jiecessity of. definite church schools' with a religious feeling throughout. Other Christian bodies who. favoured the Bible in schools had recognised the lioed for Church schools. Tho - Church should be allowed tho opportunity of teaching her own.children. He' believed that there was a better chance of establishing Church schools now than thero was -before the activities of the league. The proposal would be supported b.y a large number of people in tlio ;diocese. Ho opposed Atr. Woodward's amendment because it was too vague. He favoured Mr. Franklin's motion, which was more definite. Mr. Franklyn . observed that both schcmes could go together. Mr. Woodward's amendment, if carried, would Aijuash the wholo movement. , Tho Rev. Robinson said that the original motion indicated no opposition to the action of the general Synod. They must do something. The Roman Catholics had their schools and they had a perfect right to have them, too. "Why then should Anglicans, who had the greatest strength numerically, not have their schools?" The amendment was then, put, and was lost 011 tho voices amidst applause. The motion was next considered, Mr. Jacob suggesting that the committee should be requested to report to the next session of Synod, llr. Franklyn agreed to this courso being adopted. The president stated that the Bible-iu-Schools League had definitely stated that it woiild not work actively until after the war. Ho believed that tho motion was not. intended to be a substitute to the aims and objects of tho league but rather supplementary and complimentary. It had always been open to any parish to start a school without, permission. The motion was carried unanimously, with tho exception that Mr. Jacob, at his own rcfjnest, was struck off tho committee.