RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 36, 12 February 1913, Page 2

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

TO iflß BDWOB. - ' Sir,— 'Your - treatment of 'education questions is invariably fair and rational j and I am pleased that Tho Post favours our Becular system. The minds of the clergy of- Various 1 religious denominations are now much exercised in trying .to a/ouse popular feeling in favour of introducing religious 'instruction* 'into the primary schools; and I think the, public .should be warned .of the danger attending the attempt. This question* is dealt with by, Edmond Holmes in an able "Study of Education! 1 ' the fifth impression, of which appeared only a few months ago under the tifclei — "What Is and What Might Be." The Athenaeum in its review of this work says :— "Mr, Holmes's' statements deserve the most careful consideration, for hid experience in all matters affecting schools and scholars is probably unrivalled ; and' no liviilg Englishman has had greater opportunities of ■ mastering the details of his subject— especially as it is presented in elementary schools— than he." Here are a few extracts from his book: -""The question of religious education in elementary schools has long been the centre of a perfect whirlpool of controversial talk. The greater part of this talk - is, to speak plainly, blatant cant." "It would be Well if all who talk publicly about' religious education ' could be sentenced to devote a month to the personal study of religious education as it is ordinarily given in elementary, schools. At the end of the month they would be wiser and sadder men; and, in the end, they would probably talk less about religious education, and think more." "The vulgar confusion between information and knowledge in at the root of much that is unsound in education. There id no branch of education in which the confusion is so fallacious and so fatal, as in that which is called 'religious.' " Then, touching on the inevitable examination which is set up as a test of the religious teaching, Mr. Holmes says : "To one who has convinced himself, as I have, that a right attitude towards the thing known is the essence of knowledge, and that reverence and devotion— to go no further— are the essence of a right mind towards God } the idea of having a formal examination in religious knowledge seems scarcely less ridiculous than the idea of holding a formal examination in unselfishness or brotherly love." Again, referring to the wearisome bitterness of so much routine in >a child's nine years of school life, he saya : "The boy who, having attended two thousand Scripture lessons, says to himself when he ( leaves school— 'lf this is religion, I will have no more of it,' is acting io obedience to a healthy instinct. He is to be honoured rather than blamed for having realised at last that' the chaff on which he has been fed is not the life-giving grain which, Uhkriown to himself, his inmost soul demands." ; • ' Here, again, he presents a big problem : — f 'THat England is reverting to paganism is the sincere conviction of many earnest Christians. In their deside to account for so distressing ' a phenomenon they will have recourse to tiny explanation, however far-fetched and 'fantastic, lather than acknowledge that it is the Scripture lesson in the elementary school which is paganising tho masses." ' ■ And again Mr, Holmes puts hie finger on the weuli spot when he aays : <"-"If the churches could have their way they would doubtless 'Uy to meflti matter? by doubling the hours that nl'e giWn to i'eli^iottd infc&t'Mction. ninl by cramming the children v.lth redouble'! energy. In their refMdl to lctisoii with htthia^ nat'<rc uKy'ntii irwa to the f?i,-jt principles of theii' lAigiap and their philosophy j !>'it ibe UvrS ct rinf'jve Uio what they £ue; and is i-i msulnetn, not liel'oi.«ni, to i^riuu* thorn." My p>'h .-.ci.< tci-ia lliii able study of reli^'ons i'li(c'ii.!jrl as ntdinatiiy given in primary gfliools are somewhat disjointed; but tliey will, I hope, serve as a caution to those fervid and well-nieahing people who have not thought the matter out.— f am, etc.,' ROBERT LEE. Lower Hutt^ 12th February; 1913.