CHURCH OF ENGLAND SYNOD.

Evening Star, Issue 3338, 31 October 1873, Page 2

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SYNOD.

Thursday, October 30. RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS, The Rev. Archdeacon Edwards moved— That the Synod resolve itself into Committee to take into consideration the question of religious instruction in schools.” The Archdeacon said it would not he at all necessary to impress upon the members of Synod the great importance of religious instruction. The children belonging to the Church of England had not received sufficient instruction of this character. The public schools were now termed undenominational, but he thought they would more properly be entitled “ secular” schools. Some of their children had religious instruction imparted to them at their homes, and others at the Sunday schools; but a gieat majority of them received little or none at all. Of course he was particularly referring to the members of the English Church. Their chil dren, it was evident, were not being brought up as they ought to be.—(Hear, hear.) The idea of the clergy imparting religious instruction before or after school hours was simply perfect nonsense, as he did not see how it could be carried out. He would suggest that they should open day schools the same as the Roman Catholics, so that the clergy could enter them at any time, and impart religious instruction. lie did not see any reason why the Board of Education should not be called upon, and arrangements made for the purpose. The Government should be impressed with the fact that public morality is at a low ebb, and asked to make provision for the religious instruction of the children. The clergy of the Church of England should take action as a body in the matter. The Rev. Mr Stanford said the matter under notice was a most important one, and of deep interest to every parent. The resolution should not be considered in Committee, on account of its great importance, Tiie President put the cpiestion that the President do leave the chair, when the “ ayes ” were declared to be in the majority. In committee, the Archdeacon EDWARDS moved the following resolution “ That the insufficiency of the religious instruction, as given in the Government schools, is greatly to be deplored.” His object in proposing this motion was to have the subject thoroughly sifted, and to know as far as possible the real facts of case. The Rev, Joshua Jones, of Clyde, inquired if Sunday schools were included. He thought that it could hardly be expected to teach religion in the Government schools ; they could scarcely require more than reading, writing, and arithmetic. The Rev. E, G. Penny considered they were in the same position as the schools at Home, and he thought the Archdeacon had done good service in bringing forward this preliminary discussion. It struck him that a great deal of the success in this matter depended upon the action they took, and that the religious instruction should be applied solely to the Church of England denomination. Simultaneous action should be taken. With a separate communion, it was very difficult to solve a theory which was actually only partially done at Home. The Rev. R. Coffey thought other denominations took the same view of the matter as they did. He instanced a case where they asked the parents to allow their children to hear the Bible read for an hour every school day at Queenstown. The request, however, was taken in a most extraordinary sense, and what was really intended to do good eventually brought contempt on God's Holy Book. So far us his experience went, it caused a careless habit of reading the Bible. The Provincial Council compelled the Bible to be read in Government schools without note or comment, and this is what is called religious instruction—it was- a mistake, a perfect phantom. If it was worth while instructing children in religious matters, it was either worth doing well or not at all.

The llev. G. P. Beaumont regretted that any more of the time of the Synod .should be wasted on this question, and he was very sorry to hear the remarks of the last two speakers. So far as lie was individually concerned, he would never further the object of religious instruction in schools, as suggested by the Itev. 11. Colfey. lie considered the only time when religious education in schools was really imparted, was when it was diffused through school hours, and to promote a proper reverence for the Bible ami religion, it should be as sugar in a teapot, and not like marrow in the bone. To give it proper effect there should be a tinge and color of religion all through the conduct of a school. The idea he meant to convey was that there should be Church Schools, and until those could be established let them wait patiently.

The Rev, R. Coffey agreed with all Sir Beaumont had said, but strongly deprecated accepting a compromise from the Government. The Rev. A. GiFFord was certain that if any compromise was accepted it would only be a stumbling block in the way, and they would have people saying they were perfectly satisfied with the action the Government had taken in the matter, and things would remain in statu quo.

The Rev. J. Jones agreed with Mr Coffey that religious instruction, as given now in schools, was decidedly bad ; but still it would be merely making matters worse by altering the present arrangements. His experience proved to him that the reading of the Bible was little or no good. The main object was to attack the evil at ttie root: at present they were a long way hack frnn the root, which was parental authority. The President considered that the objections he had heard did not cope with the main point at issue. As ho took it, the Archdeacon did not mean that religions instruction should be imparted an hour or half-an-hour after school was over, but that it should be disseminated through the whole of the school. It was not actually a new plan, for in England it was adopted with great success, and a clergyman was appointed who visited the school almost every morning, or, if he could not attend, an assistant was appointed. A great number of objections had been heard and raised, but, in his opinion, it rested upon the amount of exertion of the clergyman. If the resolution was not carried out practically by the Synod and the Government, it would be worth nothing. He confessed that he hardly felt justified in his own conscience in supporting this resolution, therefore he must dissent until they had schools of their own.

Mr Mansforh thought the education in Government schools radically bad, and that the Committee should commence immediately erecting new schools. He was sure there were sufficient children to make the schools selfsupporting. They only wanted the Government grant, but at the same time he would oppose any support.

Mr M. W. Hawkins considered that to stop the march of secular education in a mixed country as this one would be like beating the air. He concurred most fully in Mr Beaumont’s remarks, that, to have any moral effect on children, religion should pervade the whole school. He deprecated the perfunctory style of religious education, of so many hours a day or a week, and children being taught this doxy and that doxy; in fact, nothing more nor less than ear-marking them like a particular herd of sheep. Such a method of religious training would tend to do more harm than good. The great question in the matter was, who were to be the teachers? He believed that amongst the parents of the laity there was not much anxiety as to what denomination the teachers belonged to. It was not dogmas of the church they were anxious for their children to learn, but the religion of every day life. The whole thing rested upon the question of teachers, and if the Church of England desired a different method, they must open schools of their own, and have learned and accomplished teachers. He was sure that the schools would be self-supporting and pay amply.

The Rev. J. Jones contended that the schools would do well in Dunedin, but not in the country districts.

The Rev. R. L. Stanford found that the laity preferred their children to have a religious training at schools in conjunction with a secular one. Sometimes he doubted if the parents really were in earnest when they made the remark— stili he hoped some were. Morality and religious knowledge were in a lamentably bad state—in fact, the present generation were being trained up as perfect heathens and atheists. Archdeacon Edwards moved—“ That this committee is of opinion that an opportunity should be afforded to the clergymen of giving religious instruction to the children of members of the Church of England in Government schools.” Carried. Archdeacon Edwards moved —“ That the religious instruction should be given the first half-hour of the school day. ” Carried. The President left the chair, reported progress, and the House resumed. Archdeacon Edwards moved—“ That the President be asked to lay the resolutions before the Board of Education, with a request that they be agreed to.” Carried nan. con .