THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 10 April 1919, Page 2

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

To the Editor.

SIR,—In the last number of the Danville Normal Instructor, New York, which I* one of the leading State School Teaobtra' Journals in America, the following extract appears } «• In nearly every part of the broad British Empire provision is made in the official syllabus issued by the various educatiqnal departments fa r the children to learn in school b,qurs the Ten Commandments. Many of the State School authorities encourage ft* displaying of the law. Qn the waUs of the schoolrooms. Qur attentiqn is called to this by a circular fro* Welling-ton, New Zealand, sent out by the 'Decalogue Committee,' urging that the laws of that State be made conformable with then* of other parts of the Empire, and provi.ion be made for the feßetitiqn or memorizing of these in tl^e scl^oql. They urge that • a knowledge of theae laws j. in the interests qf character-building an«U*~ good citizenship, and is »f S Q an aid t* good government,' " \ ■ A. the children in the State School^ ot Wew Zealand are not taught the T«n Commandments, which are the foundation of our British laws, I beg to suggest that parents and School Committees at once petition their member of Parliament to urge that the Government printer bt instructed to print, and supply free to all Mate School Committees sufficient copies of the Ten Commandments for each of the class rooms, with a recommendation that they be learned by the " scholars.—l am,, etc., A New Zkalander. [P.S.-Nearly all New Zealand Education Boards allow School Committees to d|»Play the Ten Commandment chart* but unfortunately these'charts are unprocurable ie New Zealand.--"N.Z."J ' "