The Bible in Schools

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 7, 2 July 1887, Page 4

The Bible in Schools

.. -TO THE :D.n«Mt OF THE STAK. Sib.—The Goui.oil of the Bible in Schools Association oi Otago, iv view of the approaching ejection, desire to; Vtwi-w the e:jnibst attention of the; OSiectors to tlte following eonsidferatibn!: j -I. \,The^ great majority "of the| "parents thfo:u§h'put.Ne.w. Zealand are j ; i)i •'favour "of; Bible reading in the! V»nWib-^''iachodls, ;ais shown by . these "facfe ":V^- •. •' ' '".' ■ :>"r(r), Tn Teply to a circular sent m •i §81 the parents of the school ] children throughout Otago, 4674, representing over 11,000 children, dein -favour of, and W2,: fe'preseiitii?g 1600 children, were gainst it:, or nearly eight to one. (2) In South Canterbury, after exiapX inquiry, there.wasa still larger propprtion-^-about nine- to one. :A|'l3)"in kelson a personal canvass vras made, when it was found that; of the-.pe^ple were op-; to the secularising of the Act. X ll.-^-The: exclusion of the Bible: from the Public Schools was from the jfosfr,.contrary to the desire of the people of the Colony. The Education .Bill,/when originally introduced, -contained a clause providing for the. daily reading of the Bible in the .which met with general ap- . bi^t ;byr; a surprise vote the i was struck out.; 111.- Daring every session since .1877, innumerable petitions from all oparts iof. :the colony have been pfe-; -sefifei to. Parliament, demanding the: re-instatement of ;the original clause, Tjut hitherto without avail. hs\ ly'J-r-The Council therefore urge uapon the electors to give special pror ifaunence to this question: at the ap--Ipr&achlng; election, and to use their utmost influence with candidates to -obtain their promise of support to o*m^ndi©iil( 61: the empowering Kid6Sl : •cbmmitfieeH througliout the if o jßießiiiTe the 1 daily reading" of the Bible in the schools j with the proof a conscience clause and time GBigned ]on; b(Bh«tlf.6f; the Council, . . "E. B. Cakgili.., ! President, : oi !:ll .;!--.:■;»;; p; Wright, Hon. SeeL lvi Dunedin,'June 24th., 1887. ; Oi f:;:i.i ■;•'' •" ' ' '• —— -' - ■