ADDRESS

Evening Star, Issue 2843, 30 March 1872, Page 2

ADDRESS

ISSUED By THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF NATIONAL EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND. ' The battle of education will in all proha- ! bility be fought in our Legislative Assembly 1 during session. It is for you, by the course 1 which you now adopt, to determine what ! shall be the issue of the conflict. Upon you, the constituents of oui youthful New Zealand nationality, rests a responsibility in | this matter, which, if met in a spirit of in- ! telligent patriotism, will secure the passing ‘ of an Education Act such as shall prove ihe I bulwark of liberty, the safeguard of our political institutions, and a stimulus and ' guide to enlightened social advancement for [ generations yet to come. Energetic efforts, public and private, are being made by a section of the community to obtain such Acts as will sanction State aid to demouiuational schools; and unless those who are opposed to this combine together, and take immediate action, the mea--1 sure will in all probability, be passed, and become the law of the laud before the public are well aware of its provisions. ' This Association believes that a liberal national system of education is an absolute ! necessity iu a young community like ours, where, practically, every man has a voice in : the legislation of the country. Political ; power can be safely wielded only by those ' who are actuated by moral principle guided by intelligence; and an education which 1 trains a peopie to such salutory exercise of their power must practically recognise the ! perfect and political and religious equality of the several members of the community, This Association does not net seek that the reading of the Bible iu Schools should be either enjoined or prohibited by the Legislature, but will be content that the decision of the question be left to the School Committee, subject to the provision of a time table conscience clause. This Association also believes that a denominational system would be a great evil in New Zealand on account of the miserable jealousies and divisions which would thereby be fostered and perpetuated amongst the youth of the Colony; on accoudt of the enormous expenses of any such system ; on account of its almost universal failure whereever it has been tried ; and on account of the possibity of its being made the channel of diverting the funds of the Colony to purposes of a purely sectarian character. This Association would therefore call upon you, as you value the political and social birthrights of your children, to unite in an endeavour to avert from our young country those evils .from (which so many of the notions of the old world are struggling to escape ; and to secure for yourselves, your children, and your country, a national system of Education, liberal, unsectarian, and universal, A petition, of which a copy is subjoined, will be circulated for signature, 'ihe cooperation of \ colonists throughout New Zealand is earnestly invited. WM. DOWNIE STEWART, Secretary. Dunedin, March, 1972.

PETITION. TO THE HONORABLE THE MEMBERS OF TRE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COLONY OF NEW ZEALAND IX PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED. The Petition of the undersigned Inhabitants of the District of in the Province of Otago, New Zealand, Humbly Sheweth : That your petitioners have learned with satisfaction that it is proposed to introduce a measure at the approaching session of Parliament, for the pii'pose of providing for the more extended diffusion of elementary instruction, and for the elevation of the standard of popular Education throughout the colony. They are prepared to give their cordial approbation to any measure which wi ! l insure to the people of New Zealand a broad, liberal, and nation al system of Education. That your petitioners believe that any legislation on this very important subject should be such as will enable the advantages of the public schools to be shared by all on equal terms, whatever may be their religious creed or opinions. Your petitioners are convinced that any scheme which affords State aid to Denominational Schools will be unjust to the taxpayers, as involving a diversion of public funds to sectarian purposes, and that in practice it will be attended by many serious evils. 11 is admitted that in older and more populous countries the denominational sys tem has not worked well, and has to a great extent failed to meet their educational wauts : And your petitioners are firmly of opinion that such a system is pecuiiarly unadapted to the circvmstances of a young and thinly peopled Colony. Your petitioners do not seek that the reading of the Biide in Schools should be either enjoined or prohibited by the Legislature \ but they are of opinion that the decision of that question should be left to the School Committees, subject to the provision of a time table conscience clause. Your petitioners are therefore opposed to any assistance being granted towards the establishment of Denominational Schools. May it therefore please your Honorable House to pass such an Education Bill into law as will establish common national schoo.s on a comprehensive basis, and prevent the application cf public money towards sectarian or denominational teaching. And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will over pray.