The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 474, 20 May 1857, Page 6

The Lyttelton Times.

Td;plaice'the afgiiiti|ertVsoi[_eV^i<^tiy iaiiiy 9MZ readers^'we 'not^unlylUeyote yur »pa«e^o,dMy to letters in repiytoiourjarliuit; Saturdayi but give 'otir cWn-espbu- ;. thW roost'■, pioin|nieht pkc^ ;ip our colfitnns. '''■',;;"'• ■;:';. .'■ .;;:''V;:I. ; ''!.'1 ■■.

, To, the, J@Mtm of-the XqitelUm. Times: 1 SiK;—l; cannot ■ allow1- yotfr article of 'feist Saturday to go without nptic£ ! With6ufc: expressing some r&*r& that the^leadiiag aiid "oldest jpurnalof tHe prbyiiice should, on , a. question as that of education,not only write ,incon»io\er^tely on the .abstract^, question*. but , should,mislead the public as to the propositions now before the EroyinciHl .Coaiic^r-JEn your .upajper of the 9th instant you isayw^ t&fe- leading principle contained in them [the Government refe6luti6ris],; -^e ■kaiimal sy'sieih-fYins been rejected by the Council." By'ihehatioity sykem I suppose; you mean, not t% nation^f sjqhool system of England, but 'what is'properjfy called ! ttie Irish sysfera. Your readers would"h^dly ;beti6ve that the'!^vel4iment''syßte'ni',iiBIsirectiy .opposed to that; f system; indeed, that' 1^ tfleonly \f>"4;W l v^Kion' is iot^^ involved in't|te 'Opv.er n ine' n t Rwpo^itions,, Again, in your paper •l^.ydn; spealcof," the .scheme of lone;dayrs . iieligion' proposed by the Government resolutions." There i 9 nothbgof -theisortinthe Go- ■ verriment resolutions? ¥ou had forgotteily iio doubt, that the week before you called this the (:national! "system;' ■ Yctar -twti ;acc6urits' are as much oppo^ed'to' tfte/XJoyernraent scheme as to dne'aiiotner.' ''" v.•'.''..'. '' ,?:'be pravincehas^ never taken^a mo^e serious stepithairthat which' it-is now about to take,— to vote £^,5pQ a year ftr,fivei.years for educational purposes. And the least that -.can ■be expfeeted from, the:press is, that-it shall state to •the people', honestly what their representatives are about to do on their behalf and^what are the underdiscussiori. : It \l ift'iihe "hope that you- will allow me to'supply iW wani ivWh. might' have been riiiich mbre ably sWpMied .by , yoiirs elf.thatT trouble you with'^heseremarits. L ««vei; been, more;jitiau1 tiiree'systeihs of public education,proposed,, tb^ai I.t'now .of: - and thes,e, are .known as "the. denominational," " the Irish" (which is thesanieiaa t-ie British and Foreign School Society's)-, and " the .secular;." ?AH'other systems are forms of one • ;or other of these three, and involve the same ir principles. ■■.■•■■.■<:. :',•';;.■;; j '% '" edu[;;cution beirjg'i-pnd&ted under ,'ilie sole direction i .arid guidance of TOuiisters of religion;: each denomiiiiition bayrngschools of.its pwn^ and all ,Hs scholars being taught its peculiar iikheolbgy. 11. The "Irish system" places, the, schools under the State, but admits of a certain amount of religious instruction upon which all,'or a certain number of, sects are agreed; excluding 'all religious teaching except that.so agreed ott.

"'' III;' "secsul'ar. System" proposes to Exclude all religious teaching 'from schools supported by ' Tii'e system proposed by the fJovernment admits either of the first or the third of these, at tlij? jdiscretipft of J the people. Ih^ofrrartifcie of last Saturday, Sir, you admit ttirtiu^'h a\ column of reasoning a very obvious [ial lacy, which, if you are acquainted with t'he.sAibject,, you should know has been answered again anil again. The same fallacy per vailed th? tiev. Mr. Dudley's reiharka in meetinaf'at i^ytteltofa the opher iiight. lafe hot'asserting that yWr arguiiaehts are worthless; or that the answer' is a good que; but your readers' will 'agree with me that in an article apparently candid,; it ja disingenuous, td'use an old and often ajiiwered argument, and hot to notice the answet."'^.1 W alluding'to the common argument against' giving seculap\ without religious instruction;; .and that the advocates of the'secular' system are either opposed to orilv3i£tjjren% to the necessity pf,teligipus: 'teachingI;'' ' I 'begih'tb speak ojf the secular system" first, because' this" 3iM|;iiH;yi on which this fallacy is based^ iiiiist be/settled before wfe can fairly argu£o9'u't'.art|y'Is'yste*m. " . '. '.' .."■ ','/' '' "' , 'Thesanbwferto your argument is tlijsl In all i the.3e^ldf^cu'ss|oris'! weI > "ai*e not s'peakirig of JSfcluiiatioii, ya. its" widest \ atid proper sense; but merely of State' educatiqij'• that is, pf'th'e ectuca'iion Vjhich'.i't is possible for,/6r the ll^t^' of 'the 'Stste, to 'give,V %i is clearly impbssib'l61 for th^ State ,'tb teac^' religi6n^. i b^tide''<ik'e/.y^ife' in^ clu.de.s.'y^nbiis ojppdsmg religions V,' Ah'd; as it! is impoJsibl?, so it mayl,l:e 'argued^ op jiigtier grounds'., jtnat it |is riot-' teeJ duty 'of. \ ,tlie, State to teach're!igio)i,^th'e'^ Sjt'ate 'Bein)g:_J ;'alij.'orga l - nizatiori of human ioci'e'ty, tor '(Jther, tl^Jin re'lieibus .purposes, It is ; easy to . say; that the Greeks taught their soiis1 to revereric'e' tlie g'bds. You may get a.better analogy in Christian tide's, and^ §ay tliat, before lieformatiqri^afl State y^climg' Was''teschfi.t>g,according to tihe 1 dpgniak of the C^uri(sh." > jF)ieanswfer \\H— -do you wish to return' iip fchose^times ? Y6U know you can not. Tlie. 'Church is hoi; now one! £hd religious' tiolefance.is tiie.law 'at 'the!land:'*„ . To wliat ejxtenjb tlien is' it the duty of the Sta^te"tp, educate .its sons p to this, extent.: that t'Ujpy. slialj'iino\yjliow| tafread arid 'understaitd the laws^tJ hey are called ob to X)bey 'j and .shall have, sufficient qf immaf to fulfil tne^li^ QiSe, the "p'oli'tjcal lpxivi^ot'.^'they'g<i'ssess. r< The $tate ri\ust <lo so miich in jself-iii'es&fatiiin.''Jf the ' ptate were, as in 9,l'den "times, it se£ip^d- : t'o be, a'jmpre coniprehensiye orgahizatiph bf-h'u-inan'society, diities wotild/no tlodb| niie, resjppridently, 'more' comprehensive ''i'' but' We | haye1 the' simple fact that inlthe udays4n Vylilch ' we live'the'Stateis aii association fpivt'ompara..tively very limited purnoses. , Aluliitude^ 6f: other' associations .'haye1 been' foUncf necessary, i Every: insyrahce company pi;'railway"*cdiiip^hy \ is, an'.exaiiiple^'p'f this fact!. j^naso dliurehes and feUgipu-< ; spcieties stand in the same relation I t<v tKe].,§'^eya'^,'-iny'y6rtnose associations ft^r I suppTyiiigtjiuman wants whicli' are'lnot supplied, and, -according''to'" our system of '^velrnnieilit, I caiihot■be supplied,,by'the civil power. ' '•' ''. .But the sujVporters of ,theVsecular '^stera i hiiven^yer said, 'that' wlipn, tue. Stfite'has its : 'yfoV^', ,'ttie/childVis'pro^rly e^^^' 'Tliey only say that 'tlie; Sja£e Has!dHrie: all it;^an dt), or ought td'pay;'fpr. ) I; 'they well know, that cViildren,. I: 6'qlj|'' so educ^ted^; would 'be miserable moral arid" intellectual' starvelings. They believe that the chuicli was organised' by Christtp pi'oyicle ■.for. wants common to all humanity^ which were 'hot entr uste:d : to States,^hd which %tate organizations could'not, supply.' They therefore; look.to'tTia ctrurch to -df> its cluty and to provide; for tlie religions 'training 'of'the people1. Not; by "one day Is, religion," but by effectual schools! for the; daily; instruction of the children in the ' tr'utlis of its most holyftoth'. Bjf tHe clturch'l mean '/'of'bourse, fofthe purposes of this arguhie'nt,1 all Sects' atid creeds whatever. ;I know it is. said you. wpuld not get "tlie children Wat-; tend such ' sch'opl^ '' I reply :th;it:' tho; '"iiftend.incedf'the'cKiltlre;n''would be an excellent test of whether the 'minister was doing iris Master's work. lam quite certain that the children! would attend if th'e^Ql'ei-gyman did his duty. It1 is a miserable faith in their own doctrines, tPiSay^ it is only by bribing children with! the■ advahtagos of reading and writing that you can' get them L> receive religious teaching. It is a .sad argument-:fo shy the clergy are not paid' and .cannot vrork. All these sound strange be-

side tKe' tooths wMfyi and <Jthe story of' how Christianity was 'ptwatlgateA in i 'the ; wbrltL 1»H the'Stite do feife^Ay its Autv in the matter jajnd, ;;.ats T ; believe in the pfbihi&le of divine: assistance fe the ieWd' of the wbrld^sb 'do I. believe 'that 'the^cKui'ch wilj nptbplfehirid hand in doing its duty. Bat, ' so lbtig as' the State js trying (o^o the (?bariph r? work^, and i» doing'it feebly "ittd badly, as'if it half ashamed of■'itJ'iso |ongitne Church will/notfeel her respbnsibflifcies dji^ctly thrown ii'pW her, and will not b¥ roiisfed into independent and yigdroua'acfcipnV;'_ ": \ , ■'] '' '"' :' :>)\ r:ii'- IJ'": .V-; ' You advance; thte ' Tisual argunients,''*hd in the tisitalsneering'tone,; as tori^elmpossibility 'of separating frohi1 secular Reaching. No doubt'tnere is a 1: difficulty to -a ca^ii- rist, but rion'ei.tb comfifofr sp'rise. 'Thei'e.is a dffficulfcy in saj'ing where the 'legal eWds and where the illegal begnis.', ißiit shall we', say' therifefbre there is no distinction-'between legal and illfe»al? Or to doubt in respect of sorrie'prqdA'clribtts'oii'na» ture Whether 'th'ey'W' fishes or plants y'-'dor'w^ thereifcire; say that rfniniar and1 vegetable lifi& !ari bhe and the 'same 'f Aifiber ail does not 'the whole of our education in tlieHigl^ei'sdhbblsand colleges, T mean' oy the sedular- recognise the difference betWeeh seciilar and religibtis teaching P, J)b,e's a' stiident atte'tfding a lecjftii'e dn the Medeaj or tHe Bifioihial'theoretn, ;6rthe French Revolution, mistake either tiff 'th^nl^for a divinity lecture ? I can only reply that yonr objections inaytefexiistentlin tjieory, but are beyond the reach of the-naked eye of practice. I will .ijtoSv 'spelikiofi .th^'; iqle^orainationsi system,! Jt is by up. raeansj.so inconsistent jifith .the news, .j have alr^ajSy; pj;oppuhde|d as^ at first si<*ht appears. The Btate may well,i.^ijihout any inconsistency, contract with a religious or any other body to teach £o 'many children a certain aih'ountJbf secular leaniing, payingl billy for that, and being indifferent as to what else is tauglit at" thf schools. But to this view, the fairest distribution whichl iJaii. fee made 'of any' tfirids^pted^ by the State'v?oulil be;to yay so much'per hS'ad per child, for every child ;instrUcteH iha'ny school." And if-the'State does not-establish sbhobls "for itself this Mrould be probably the best system^ which could be :ad6pteH, ;at orice topreserve its' own consistent action, 'and -to satisfy the'general disposition (if there be'subh) to have in s6me form a denominatibnal System.;' ;••-■;-■' '._■■ ";':-" • <-;; -.'; ■ '■■"■"■ '■■•'•■'■ ".^■ASid ri here again, sir; you have misled your readers'"as1; to the1 pr^possil of the: Government ; for the trovernment resolutions distinctly adopt the system. The words are f-''The retigidks teaching -in- ix-ny school shall be oMe^ediy the head of the religious body by which the local contributions are raised." The (rdvernt'ne'nt appear to ;ha¥e taken the quantum ! 6'f 'moneyl raised .by school fees or private sources as a'ineiisu're of the work done ; instead of : talcing f the number of children. Either plan would have much the same effect Such schools would be strictly denominational: It is only ;ih the: case of the sects beingunable to form separate schools that the plan then falls back on the secular system. "Where such contribu- ' ttom shall be raised by several religiduS bodies there shall be %o religious teaching in such school." Iri' such ease the'various sects them"selves unite - l for purposes, of ■ secular instruction j but' separate fdr; the teaching each of its owh. peculiar doetrhiesv ' ; > ; : But the. pvopound'ers of; the denoniinatibnal, system, who are much too apt in this argument to asume to tbeniselves the'exclusive care for the interests bf religion, abandon their own favourite theory: for in the proposal of the ministers of the religious bodies tiovv before the Council,' there: is a 1 "clause admitting of any child being withdrawn from the -religious teach- • ing of the school whose parents object to such teaching,' so- that the ■-principle is abandoned wnerij. adherence to it would einperil its adoption. So; lortg as'tlifty :can get the education into their hands they look with complacency on some few children receiving no religious teaching'at-all!' I ' object to the: denominational system because it j will make a number of small, inferior schools, ill attended, and Avii'h masters badly paid : and .' because in this clbny liis evil wilfbe ten-fold ! greater than in ;; more tensely peopled country, i In a town of n< t m >re than 700 inhabitants there will be three schools, where one is quite snfficient, and in the country districts the system can" only be worked through the operation of that clause which is its virtual abandonment. The (jnverriinent resolutions appeared to me to possess a very wise and prudent power of j

adaptation tQftJteiyMiQ&HnHiinfytel*™* of different parts of the province, offering to the relij»idus;<*odtes tb wotk separately or together; aa they convenient*■ " ■<■>••'■'■ ■' : ■ >' U^tt-'ffchiei'lrish- Ky>.tern I^havfc few remark* io'ttiake.-' Tt is opposedi-by all" parties, Hk Honor thesuperinte^d<«nty iti addressing a meet* ing at Lyttelton a few iiighttf'agV), showed clearly eftftugh that aa1 a system of had>atterly: failed.'?' There cannot be a stronger'evidence of this theaj'thewastoral^ charge of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin only last;Christ-' mas. He speaks in terms of approval of the" national system because dn-practice ike aehodls Were ittnmi&sd. He say»;" JFroin mixed education we? caa (expect {nothing, but-evil,"and talks of " giving .a [thorough. Catholic education to (Catholic i jehildren." ' it is;quiteiclear then hiow inDr. Cullen's opinion the national system is working, dt. h a strictly 1 denominational system under a false name. -Atthesametiinej totgive all their due,: it must be admitted that the Board in DttMiri hasi produced:thefbest'set of< school books on-'almoet all jsiibjects taught in elementary »chocii|»'which have: over beenrpablished. if <you have room-tcr insert this letter, I Will offer no apology for ■■ its length—rather, if you will allow me, I will address; you againon the subject. , , lam ; sir, . Your obedient servanti, -.;(; CONNELL COUNCILLOR. "''% tKe Editor of :J^elion, Times. s ,Sl^-^Xnowing.the.jCandoar with ,whick you permit alt , subjects of ..{aiblic import to be di«cussed.in youriCplumns, v.J have ventured to offer a-few. remarks reply, to spme portions of your leading article in Satui-day'§ edition.of the ,'Ti.mes.' -'.'..,..'■ ■ .... ■','. •. .... '..'',.' The difficulty -which, { you complain of .as an^ingron the,threshold of the question is that which^pwand jHandeveiy thinking man should endeavour to remove. ■"',"-■,,: ' ,• ■■'■•'> Truth,,like gold, is pftep; surrounded by mueli extuaneous aiid grosser matter,: and to relive and ■purify it is the noblest iask to which man can direct his,intellect.; , What, is education ? Let,us.solve -this problem: t ifi possible,l format. the..,bottpm o'f^this lios not onjy the gra^in of, gold, bqt the phik),soi)her:s I stone,. which shall.convert all the less valuable metals of learning into golden truths. ; - .."^Ayn&tion," says ,a.popular writer, mean^ .''traiiung.togpod purposes ;"na,similar reply to that of yqur Pagan Greek, though in different words,., and I believe we are all as much agreed now as __ mankind ever .-were as to its, end and aim ; but truth split up into infinitely small grains % Sectarianism: ha* oeea • all bat lost • sight; of- amongst:. the, rubbisji ,of Theology. Eachjlittlesect ; . has striven,.(and often fiercely) to magnify its own little nugget, while the rich auriferou'sjsands have, been trampled under.'foot and wasted away. ■_..-., ■• . ■ It appears to me the. error lies-in'this. We thinfc. the learning of our sdhook' is the eduear tion oi" our.children;;we attach t<?omuch importance to the * ologies' at which you hurl your satire. We forget that the knowledge, gained in school is-.only the meaij^ by which the man shall educate himself. The only 'ology' of which-,you seem to iiint the child cannot^have ioo milch is theology.. While you admit the fact that children are " naturally materialists," and ■"< oireless of religious •instmction," —can vuu conscientiously feed their minds on an every day -allowance of hotcli ipotch, of which theology must form the principal ingredient ? "Why loud the mental, stomach with food it cannot digest P will it not be thrown off at the first opportunity te like a piece of .boiled leather." That such has been the case hitherto, all my experience proves. The schoolmaster must contine himself more to facts palpable to the child's material nature; having so.opened the gate and paved.Abe way, let the priest aud the parent step m to lead, the way to Heaven. If the religious instruction of the schoolroom was powerful for good, would the metropolis of our fatherland be, as it now is. » nest of j-ob-bors ? Are not educated villains on the increase ? Prom whem-e come ourSadlierg, our Leopold Eedpatha, Strahans, &.-. ? In mv O pii>. ion, the state of society proves the inefficiency of school taught religion ; let ur then adopt a plan by which the schoolmaster shall be relieved from the onus of its failure, and, alxne ail, let priest and parent vnite in making the education out of school better than it has been. CHARLES J. RAIj).