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Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1929, Page 7

THE PROBLEM OF THE CHILD. “ Are we alive to the problem of the child? Are we really facing tne problem? Are we, as a Church, satisfied with the fact that but a small percentage of the names in our baptismal registeis are subsequently to be bound on our confiimation rolls? Are we satisfied, with the percentage of Sunday school scholars added yearly to confirmation and communicant rolls? Are we alive to the fact that there are thousands of children m this country who have mot been baptised, and are receiving no religious teaching whatever? ” These questions were asked by Archbishop A. W. Averill, at the opening of the first sesssoin of the 2flth Auckland Anglican Synod. There were SO,OOO children in 'New Zealand who were receiving no religious teaching whatever. • He urged that those responsible should cease talking and get down to bedrock, and bedrock in the question was the home. What could be expected of children who received no religious training at .home, none at school, and were not even encouraged to pick up the crumbs available in Sunday school? The Church secondary schools could no o solve the problem, for the range of their influence was limited, although they were admittedly making an endeavour to train and develop character and inculcate higher views of life.