“FALSE THEORY”

Hokitika Guardian, 28 November 1928, Page 3

“FALSE THEORY”

EDUCATION WITHOUT RELIGION

TLYIARU, Nov. 20.

In . the course of his address at the Ceremony of laying the foundation .stone or St, Mary’s- Anglican Church new Parish Hall and Sunday School this afternoon, Bishop West Watson made some interesting remarks on the problem of educating without religion. “Utmost in your thoughts,” said his Lordship, “is the home the hall will provide for your Sunday Schools and Bible Classes, and no purpose could be more important, especially as we aie situated in New Zealand. So long as the idea is prevalent,” continued the Bishop, “that education is one thing and religion another, and that an education worth the name can be given in our schools without religion, so long will the Churches have to try to do in one short hour the work of a week. This means that an almost impossible task, however, which gives their work a quite exceptional dignity and importance. Some day it will dawn upon us that education is not simply storing facts in a human depository, to he left till called for, for such a theory ot education is false. Facts are the jaw material which the loom of the developing mind is to- weave into the fabiic ot a life. Too often we feed on facts, without finding out whether the loom is working. Education is the development of the wonderful and varied faculties the one which lies at the base of civic and social, as well as private, \ iituc is the spiritual. If the child is to respond to the values of love amt beauty and truth, it must he given the right colours to weave into the fabric oflife.”