PRESBYTERIAN GIRLS' SCHOOL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 192, 9 May 1919, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN GIRLS' SCHOOL

ST. MARGARET COLLEGE OPENED

NEED FOR RELIGIOUS TEACHING..

The official opening of Queen Margaret College for Girls, llobson Street, established by the Presbyterian Church ot New Zealand, took place yesterday afternoon. There was a crowded attendance, and the proceedings were presided over by the Hon. J. G.' W. Aitken, who occupied the- chair in the absence, through indisposition, of the Rev. Dr. Gibb, chairman of the Boavl of Governors. Ihe Bev W. Gray D*o.'i, M.A., Moderator ot the' General As.-^iily, ' performed the opening ceremony, 'and he was assisted by the Revs. J. Gumming, 8.D., A. a. T'odd, 8.A., S. Kob'ertson Orr, James H. U'Kenzio, and J. Kennedy Elliott, D.D., who each took a part* in the several portions of the service. A number o! ministers of other denominations were on the platform. ' . The chairman read a letter which had been received from Dr. Gibb, expressing regret that he could not be present at the ceremony. Dr. Gibb hoped that the college would take a place of honour among the educational establishments of Neiv Zealand, and ho mentioned that much success was attending the Presbyterian schools of the Dominion. Mr. Aitken said he felt sure that under the guidance of the principal of the college, Miss N. Jobson, M.A., the collega. would achieve a great measure of success. The Rev. Gray Dixon, M.A., said he regretted that Dr. Gibb had been unablo to attend the ceremony. The Presbyterian school movement in New Zealand bad been' inaugurated by the Rev. Mr. White, of Port Chalmers, and several colleges had so far been opened. They of the Presbyterian Church wore there to stand for * national system of education. In JNew Zealand a type of school had been established which was called a national school but it failed at the vital point, as it did not take into due account the soul or the nation-the Christian, faith. They could not support the present Stateschool system with proper enthusiasm until the Christian religion was introduced into the schools of the Dominion. As long as the Government Ignored the . introduction of tho Christian influence : into the schools, then church people j might become impatient and establish ! schools of their own in which Christian- : ity would be associated- with the other ! objects of those schools'. In the meanime they were content to set up secondary schools. Referring to the name- of the college—Queen Margaret—Mr. .'Dixon said Queen Margaret was a sainted woman and a 6plendid churchwoman, who was the consort of King Malcolm in the eleventh century. It was a fitting thing that the college should be called after such a beautiful type of woman as Queen Margaret. The region immortalised by Queen Margaret had again been immortalised in our own day, for it was near there that, by order of Admirffl Beatty, the German flag had been hauled down never to be flown again. (Applause.) Mr. Dixon,urged the scholars of Queen- Margaret College to model their lives on the pattern of that of Queen Margaret of Scotland. They should fear God and honour the Lord's Day. Amidst applause, Mr. Dixon then declared the oollege open. ■ Miss N. Jobson, M.A., principal of the college,. also addressed tho assembly, and said there was not only a necessity, but an imperative need for the establishment of such an institution as Queen Margaret's.. She could not understand the opposition which had been raised in certain quarters to such Church schools at St Margaret College. In Australia the efficient Church' schools had proved their value. The national system in New Zealand would not .'.suffer'through- the competition of Church schools, because if the national system was good, it would stand, and if the secondary and kindergarten Church schoole were good, they also would stand. From her •experience she was sure that there wae.no secondnry high school'in New Zealand under the supervision of the government which from the-point-,of' view of-moral tone and character-building,' could approach the Presbyterian Ladies' College in Melbourne, which was really tho -mother of Presbyterian l girls' schools in Australasia. The Roman Catholics had their echoola for years, and so had the Anglicans, but it was not until the Presbyterians began to establish schools that an outcry was raised. It seemed to her that tho Presbyterians wero rather formidable opponents in the field of education. They had a reputation for doing things:well that made suppoiters of the national system tremble. If some of the opponents of the Church schools were the products of the other system, then eho thought the latter system wouM be condemned by their utterances. She hoped to train the girls who would attend the school to aim at high ideals, so that their lives would, be rendered beautiful and glorious—a type of womanhood which was so essential if the'nation was to become great and prosperous. She hoped to inspire them with a love of the higher things of life, to teach them tho beauty of literature and art, and to realise above all the beauty of character. (Applause.) The Bible was the greatest work in literature, and shq could not understand why its entry was forbidden into the' national schools, which were supposed to ir-julcate a love' of -literature. If they learned to live a life as it ought to be lived, the earning of a livelihood would follow afterwards, but being able to earn a livelihood woud not make them able to live a life. ' At tho close of the ceremony the visitors were invited to inspect the school, and afternoon tea was dispensod.