The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1883. Moral Training in Schools.

Feilding Star, Volume IV, Issue 9, 30 June 1883, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY, JUNE 30, 1883. Moral Training in Schools.

. » .Mr Ri. W. Green, tbe member for Ducedin East — the hon. member with ''the conscience" — has introduced a Bill entitled "An Act to provide for the moral training of the young in the public schools." Tbe Act is to be read together with " The Education Act, 1877," and the provisions of the said Act shall be construed in harmony with this Act; this is the second clause. The third clause provides that " The committee of each school district shall appoint special periods during school hours, not to exceed thirty minutes, at which Bible reading lessons shall be given under the supervision of the teacher, and also for the inculcation of lessons ot morality; but no denominational religious teaching shall be civen during such lessons The periods appointed shall be either at tho opening or close of school hours. No child shall be per mitted to be present at such lessons whose parent or guardian shall have objected thereto in writing." This ends the Bill. Then- i> a feeble attempt made in this Bill to i.-.troduce religious teaching in schools uith tlie rel gion left out. It is to be presumed that cv. ry frcbool teacher is a professor of some religion, or a follower ol some sect tha. has the Bible for its basis, and that therefore the Bible reading lessons must necessarily be tinged in a greater or less degree by the opinions the teacher holds Tha most hor.est and conscientious schoolmaster or schoolmistress must from the very nature ot things be liable to break the law in this respect In fact, the grea'er the honesty on the part of the teacher, the greater the liability to err. Denominational religious teaching will insensibly creep in and break up the harmony that ought to exist between the school committees, the masters, and the scholars. We are all, unfortunately, aware how people quarrel over .-übjects on which tlieir knowledge is most limited, especially on subjects of religion or morality. But if the weakness of human nature had not already provided an inevitable cause or means of di-cord, the last few lines of the Act fathered by the ' conscientious Gkekn" affords a ready excuse for even the most unlikely people to " kick up a dust." All a parent bus to do who either objects to the bible teaching or ihe absence of denominational religious teaching, is to object in writing and his children, are exempted from attending school during thirty minute, each day, a period of time that may be utilised by the scholars in the practice and stuuy of popular or seasonable games, instead of being employed in the acquirement of u*olu knowledge which the State pays .such large sums to impart. Let us sup. o<e a case that might easily occur, presuming this Bill becomes law. One lot of parents may object b_c_u.o there is Bibh

reading, another because there i.- no pruperiv so-called religious instruction with it, and vK another lot because they disagree with the religious principles of the teacher, or because those principles are absent. Many other suffic : i:g causes of objection to the presence ot" their children could be educed, with the result that no children at all would be present during; the half hour of the '' conscientious Giieen." In the inculcation ot lessons of morality we presume the decalogue is intended to be largely employ d in assisting the teachers in impressing on the minds of infants and youths of both sexes the terrors of sin as pointed out therein and the worldly punishments that will follow the discovered breach of any of the commandments. But who is to teach the teachers -> Are they all fit and proper persons to say what is, and what is not, morality ? We doubt it very much. There is nothing on the face of a Government certificate issued to any public schoolmaster to show that ethics or morals are a subject he or she is qualified to teach and impart. As we have said on another occasion morality and religion can an I ought only to be taught in the churches and in the houses of parents. Where children, from the accident of birth, are rieprivc-d of these blessings, Sunday Schools should in some measure supply the deficiency, and the example of children brought up by pious and respectable parents would surely exersise a restraining effect on the most vicious children who were under no redeeming home influences. VVe sincerely hope for the peace and comfort ol all connected with the education question that thi-. silly " fad" of a bigot wiil be thrown ■ vi t uf Parliament. [We are glad to learn that since the above was in type this obnoxious Bill has been rejected by Parliament.)