BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Hokitika Guardian, 3 September 1929, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

VICTORIAN SYSTEM PROPOSED

WELLINGTON, Aug. 28

The almost sessional question of religious instruction in public schools was raised in the Legislative Council to-day on the second reading of Mr 0. M. Thomson’s Education Amendment Bill which proposes the institution of. a measure of instruction on the lines of the system operating in Victoria. The discussion was not concluded. In moving the second reading, Mr Thomson referred to the efforts made since 1914 to introduce Bible reading into schools, and pointed out (that last year he had withdrawn the Bill now under consideration because the House had already dealt with the matter, and that even if it had been passed by the Council it oould not again he brought before the House in that session. For 14 years a movement to introduce the Bible into the schools lvnd been steadily brought forward, and he admitted that in every case it had been defeated. Every year thousands of children were passing through our schools and there was no word rtf religious training. How long was that to continue? He was strongly in favour of religious teaching of the young, and he thought if they could not get p, whole loaf they should be content with half. It was to give some measure of religious instruction in schools that he had introduced his Bill with a modification. The system in Victoria could be applied here. It had been said the system would not work in New Zealand because of the number'of small schools in the country districts which it could not reach. In 1921 out of 2300 schools in Victoria, 549 were reached by the movement, but seven years later the number had risen to 1350. In 1925 there were 122,000 children receiving instructions, and four years later there were 138,000. There were still about 90,000 children who were not touched. In 1927 there were 2000 voluntary instructors—and' the scheme was working satisfactorily. The Bill proposed that the teaching should be secular in the sense of nonsectarian. “The word ‘secular’,” he said, “has been grossly misused by a certain section of the community to characterise the education system of New Zealand as Godless. The word ‘secular’ will nowhere stand that designation.” The Bill provided a slight alteration of the present system in Victoria, the difference being that in Victoria it was working under a regulation of the Education Department, whereas he proposed it should operate by Act of Parliament. The Bill did not alter at all the essential character of the Education Act of 1877'. It left the education scheme Ifree, secular, and compulsory; secondly, the Government was not asked to teach religion or recognise any form of religion in schools in any way; thirdly it set aside only one or two half-hours each week for religious teaching to be imparted by properly qualified persons, approved by /the Minister of Education; fourthly it did not interfere in any way with the religious convictions of public school teachers; fifthly, it confined religious teaching to children whose parents desired them to receive it; sixthly, it threw the onus of religious teaching on churches and other organisations (formed for religious purposes; and, seventhly it prevented the possibility of any religious denomination establishing a school of its own and then calling on the Government for State aid. The Bill, said Mr Thomas, was not the Nelson system in that the Nelson system dealt with the teaching of children outside school hours altogether, and also in that at present it had not been organised anywhere in the Dominion. If the Bill came into force it would fall on the religious community t.o frame an organisation to make it operative. Meanwhile, the Nelson system could go on developing. He did not think the Bill prevented the Bible-in-Schools League at any time bringing forward its own measure.

“My sole object” said the mover, “is to try and provide a medium by which' some form of religious instruction can be brought into operation without altering the present education law.” Air W. AV. Snodgrass, speaking in support of the measure said there could be no question of the advantage of Bible instruction. He referred to the benefits of the Nelson system.

Air G. Witty declared that the proposed system was unnecessary while the Nelson system was giving satisfaction. If good work could be done in Nelson, surely it could be done equally well in, other parts. The Bill would establish a ground for denominational grants. They should not encourage laziness by those whose duty it was to preach religion. At this stage the debate was adjourned. V ’ A sure, safe remedy for coughs and colds—put a few drops ol “ Nazol ” on a piece of lump sugar and let it dissolve slowly in the mouth. Instant relief assured. 60 doses for Is 6d.—Advt