BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 92, 15 October 1932, Page 14

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

DEBATE IN COUNCIL

DIFFICULTIES SEM

' An announcement which may have a tearing on the fate of the Beligious Instruction in Schools Enabling Bill Vas made by the Hon. "C. J. Carrington in the Legislative Council yesterday. In the course of hig speech on the second reading debate on the Bill Mi\ Carrington said that after careful consideration of the various possible con; sequences of the Bill ho had decided to cast his vote against it. He maintained that the measure would not achieve the results the promoters hoped for, and would, should it be passed, carry in' its train difficulties and hardships. Mr. Carrington said that a child, to be fully safeguarded against the perils of the woild, needed the protection of religion, and' this could not be given by a secular system of education. However, the Bill was a poor safeguard for the child. He agreed that without dogma there was no difference between one religion and another, and that religion without dogma was ineffective. It had been truly pointed out that undenoininationalism was not only hopelessly ineffectual, but was also a danger to Christianity itself. He did not admit that there was anything in the assertion that the secular system was responsible for the acknowledged high status of the children'and youth of the Dominion. The advocates of a purely secular education system could not lay flattering unction to their .souls that the secular system had been responsible for that. Christianity was responsible. - The Christian parents of the children and the ministers of Christianity were responsible for the high status of the children, who compared favourably with those of any other country.' . * NELSON SYSTEM. , There wa? no doubt that the Nelson system was making headway, and under present conditions the only logical way ,to teach the children the faith of their fathers—whatever that faith might be —was to get behind the Nelson system and assist it in every possible way. If the same amount of energy expended in favour of Biblo reading in schools was expended in developing the Nelson system there would be a very different tale ,to tell with regard to the Christian education of the "children. It had been said that there had been no protests against religious exercises and prayers in the secondary schools, but he himself had to pay approximately & 150 per year for the education of his children in private secondary schools simply because religious exercises formed part of the State school curriculum. An emphatic protest had been made against religious exercises in secondary schools by. the late . Bishop Cleary, who Was speaking, on behalf of 180,000 citizens of New Zealand. , "Last year I thought with others that, the major difficulties with regard to this'question had been disposed of," said Mr. Carrington, "and I was thankful.- I thought then, and I thought right up to this morning, that I should be able to support this measure, but now I can see there will be very grave difficulties in connection with the teachers of different faiths arid those of no faith who' may wish to be exempted from taking part in religious instruction such as." ia proposed to be introduced." Mr. Carrington said that in the Committee stage he intended to move that a provision bo inserted in the Bill giving teachers who considered they had suffered an injustice in respect of the conscience clause the right of appeal tothe Minister of Education. On receipt of the, appeal the Minister would be obliged to set up a form of investigation into the points raised.. Unfortunately even this provision would not entirely safeguard the teachers who objected to giving religious instruction. He contended that any complete and fair solution of the education question should include State aid to private schools.* People who had deep religious convictions were making huge sacrifices for their schools, and these sacrifices became greater in times like the present. "I regret exceedingly," said Mr. Carrington, "that I cannot support the Bill when I remember the great hardships that will, be inflicted upon the dissentient teachers. I also consider that the objects of the measure will :o6t be accomplished if the Bill becomes law.. If the Bill does become law it will present even greater difficulties, than the difficulty it seeks to negotiate. I refer to the preparation of the socalled undenominational prayers and exercises which it proposes to authorise. There will be confusion worse confounded, For these reasons I cannot Support the measure." CHRISTIAN. PRINCIPLES. The Hon. Sir William Hall-Jones said that many of the present difficulties of the world would not have occurred had greater .adherence been paid to^tha teachings of Christ. The Great "War would not have occurred and there ■would have been no -aftermath. The Russians did not allow religious instruction in; schools, and surely New Zealand was not going to accept BusRia as an example. He was quite agreeable to a more modified form of the religious, observance than that proposed in the Bill, and would be contented if the children were asked to cay the Lord's Prayer, sing &■ hymn, and read some simple passage from the Bible, especially the New Testament.

The debate was adjourned until Wednesday, :on the motion of the Hon. Colonel G. J. Smith.