WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1932, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

LEARNING* AND RELIGION

DIFFERENCES OF OPINION

(Special Correspondent).

WELLINGTON, November 10

The “Evening Post,” which among' the newspapers of the Dominion ' ha's been foremost in the support of tin undenominational system of education’ in the public schools, .has met a dough'ty critic in the person of Mr F. Long. “The Nelson system; admirable so far a® it goes,” Mr Long says', ‘-is definitely inadequate t<>' the task of teauiing all the children who should be taught. It fails in country {districts. Many of. these districts are from 50 to 100 miles in length, and contain ten or twelve schools, and these ten or twelve miles apart. How can a vicar possibly visit all these in a week, especially if be* is required to be ' at each school outside of school hours? And who is to pay for all the petrel? These obviously are difficult problems, but they surely axe not wholly insoluble. Where there are schools there will be <botn children and teachers. THE WILL AND THE. WAY.

Confronted with Mr Long’s problems the “Pest"' docs not immediately proceed to their solution. “We have -never attempted to conceal the difficulties in thfe way • of ; working the Nelson system in sparsely populated districts; ■- the champion of the undenominational system admits, “butdifficulties were /made to ’be got overhand we believe that the chief obstacle to the complete success of the system in-the towns and a very substantial success in tihe country districts is that the Protestant Churches, partly because some of their leaders are obsessed by the hope’ of a political remedy, and partly for less creditable reasons, have never made the united, organised,’ and enthusiastic effort that is needed to overcome the difficulties.” Only a little more than a- month ago Canon* James, representing ■a deputation- that "waited upon • the Prime Minister and tlie Minister of •Education, &nd that 'in' schools- where the’Nelson system had been > introduced practical ly v al,l the children attended. . GROWTH’ OF ATTENDANCE. ’ Speaking, in the Legislative Council month, when Sir James Allen was i,n charge of a Bill seeking to extend the- facilities for Bible teaching in the public schools, Mr Masters, the Minster of Education, stated that, in one town of over 20,000 people, with 200 C children of school age, there was not a single instance in which advantage of the Nelson system was not taken by parents and children. In—introducing his Bill Sir James Allen wa® content fo quote the figures of 1920 to 'show that not 20,000' out ■of 230,000 school (children were receiving . the benefits of the system;, but the figures obtained by Mr MaHtens proved that the numbers now had -■' (mounted to 60,000, approximately from 10 per cent, to 25’ per cent, of th e totals during the twelve years. Forene would think of Sir dames distorting the figures; but obviously his brief was unwittingly deranged.

OF necessity

The Government, being 'driven to effect- a very substantial reduction in : the expenditure of the Education Department, did well in committing, this 4 a=i/ to M- Ma«t°rs, who to comparative youth and untiring energy, could add experience in both branches of the Legislature anti with many of their occupants. In the Council a little ; while ago he described Victoria a-$ having adopted the Nelson system, al the Protestant Churches', including the -Salvation Army,- combining to form a bint council' for the purpose of establishing a 'State wide organisation 'to make the fullest possible use of - the (opportunities for voluntary, religious teaching. The figure quoted by Mr Masters showed that th e Joint- Committee of the Churches had extended its operations .to 1900 of- the 2730 -schools in the State, a proportion of -70 per cent., of the whole. , Thb surely is a better result from cordial, co-operation' t'nan could ■ be• -expected■ from any compulsory measure. i