CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 829, 21 April 1910, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

A VITAL, QUESTION

MONDAY NIGHT’S CONTEST.

[to tiik editor.]

Sir, —At a discussion at the recent meeting of the British Medicas Association in Wellington, I was much impressed by the statement made by more than one leading medical practitioner that the only way to bring the children up with a useful amount of moral self-control is to introduce religious teaching into the public schools. In order that the rising generation may become the most useful citizens, and live the most useful lives, a high degree of self-control is absolutely necessary. For thirty-three years the present secular system of education has been in operation, and as a result a large proportion of onr young population is practically heathen. Family life is out of date, the contagious diseases are spreading, the birth rate is falling, and the death rate is rising. The remedy is to give the children a high ethical training so as to develop the faculty of self-control, and the ethics of Christianity will effect the object more surely than any other system. Under the New Zealand Education Act the school hours prescribed are twenty a week of five days, or four hours a day. Most schools now meet for five hours a day. All that is necessary in order to have half-au-hour a week for Bible reading is for the Education Board to give the School Committee permission to reduce the school hours by half-an-hour once a week, and for the School Committee to set this half-hour aside for Bible reading. Those children whose parents have an objection to their learning the Bible in school can stay away. There is no compulsion. I have made enquiries from many places where this system, known as the Nelson system, is already in operation, and in no case was there any complaint that it interfered with school work. On the other hand, many replies indicated that the Bible reading was a pleasant break in the week’s work, and that the tone of the school had improved since its adoption.

The Nelson system originated in Nelson about twelve years ago and has been adopted by Invercargill, Feildiug, Napier, Wanganui, Moruiuglon (Dunedin), Oamaru, and Hawke’s Bay. Under this system ten thousand children are getting Bible lessons in the State schools, but there are one hundred and fifty thousand children who are not gelling Bible lessons at school.

I appeal to all those who have the highest interests of this young nation at heart to attend the elections of the School Committee on Monday, April 25th next, and to vote for those candidates who are in favour of the Bible being read in the State schools. In this way only can the .Education Boards which are opposed to Bible-reading in the schools be induced to give the committees the power to set apart a lime for Bible-reading. Bible-reading after school hours is a failure, for the pupils are too tired to attend.

Some are afraid of Bible-sludy stirring up sectarian strife. They are judging by the past, but have failed to notice that the old strife was stirred up by individual or political selfishness or ambition and not by a knowledge of the Bible. —l am, etc., b. Wai.i.ach Mackknzik, President Householders' Teague. Wellington, April 17th, ryto.