BIBLE TEACHING IN STATE SCHOOLS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1015, 8 July 1911, Page 4

BIBLE TEACHING IN STATE SCHOOLS.

Au up-to-date review and appeal by the Ven. Archdeacon Willis, Cambridge. Article 111. THE USELESSNESS OF THE PRESENT “FACILITIES.” In the second article of this series I dealt with the necessity for the school function. It may now be said if the school function is so necessary why then do not the clergy and the churches use the “lacililies” offered by the Education Law for voluntary Bible teaching in the schools ? But let us see what the facilities are. They are at best most miserable and entirely of a negative kind. By the use of the word secular, and the interpretation given to it by most administrators the Education Law prevents any Bible or religious teaching being given by teachers, or anyone else, during school hours. THE LAW ONLY ADMITS THE BARE possibility of religious or Bible teaching being given out of school hours by saying nothing to forbid it. But il a clergyman or other teacher should wish to teach in any school he can claim nothing as a right even out of school hours. The matter is practically in the hands of the various school committees, lo grant or refuse, and though refusual is not the rule, it is common enough to make it quite uncertain what answer may be given to any application. Yet miserable as is this negative provision, honest efforts have been made to turn it to account, and efforts are still being made. The fact remains, however, that not a tithe of the work has ever been touched ; and the verdict of the clergy as a whole, has been from the beginning that success is impossible. a clergyman’s experience. I myself was amongst those of the clergy of the Anglican Church, who gave the matter a fair trial. For a large portion of three years spent by me in a former cure 1 taught regularly in three schools once a week. I taught beiore school, and after school, and in the dinner hour. I must not write ot all the difficulties connected with my efforts—suffice it to say that I only had the attendance of a small proportion of the children, and only that of those who least required teaching. But from the beginning I deeeply sympathised with, and pitied, those children who had to stay and be taught the Bible while the most of their fellows were in the playground. Moreover, I resolved at the termination of my work in that cure that I would never again use facilities which could only foster dislike ot religion. Anyone must see that those of the children who think at all can only think badly of religion, the Bible and the parson, if they all alike are considered unworthy of any proper place in the economy of the school. CANNOT be EVERYWHERE. But even if the case were entirely different and the clergy were allowed to enter the schools during school hours ; and if the clergy did all they could do, in all the schools they could reach, only a very partial success would be attained. There must still remain a very large number of schools which could not be visited ; and an immense number of children who could not be given any Bible teaching whateuer. This tact alone should ba sufficient to condemn the system. Nothing can be satisfactory that will not reach all who are willing to be taught;

and by no possibility can the | clergy attend, all the schools in i their parishes or districts, even on one day each in the week, which would be the barest starvation allowance. THE FIELD TO BE COVERED. 1 am privileged to live In one of the most easily worked country parts of the diocese of Auckland. But in my parish there are already twelve schools. To pay a visit to each of these schools even once a week, would keep the two Anglican clergy in this parish continually on the road. One or other of us would have to visit four schools on one day of the week, and two schools on each of the other school days. The distance to and from each school, including the school nearest our doors, averages sixteen miles per school. Thus, to get through the work, one or other ot us would have to travel daily thirty-two miles, and on one day of each week sixty-four miles. We should in fact have to give the most of our time to the work. LAY HELP OBTAINABLE. We sometimes hear it said that the clergy should get the laity to help them. The answer to this is simple. We cannot get anything like the lay help we want for our Sunday schools. This being so on Sundays when lay people may be expected to be most free of engagements, there is no prospect whatever of getting the needful help on week days, when for the most paitj the laity are occupied with their businesses. I ought not to close without some mention of bishop nelxgan’s gallant EFFORT. The Bishop, with his splendid optimism, thought he would try to do something, notwithstanding the fact that so many had failed already. 1 will let the Bishop speak for himself: “At the General Synod this year’' (1904), “I stated personally I should not wait for legislation before trying to do something for the children in our schools Immedi-

ately after General Synod I went on an extended northern tour. In most country districts it was quite evident that, it any religious instructions were to be given, the only person possible for the purpose was the teacher. Accordingly, whenever I could I saw the teacher, told him that, for my immediate purpose, I was indifferent to his religious persuasion the only things I wanted to know were—(a) Was the teachers professing Christian ; (b) If permission were given by the Committee, would the teachers give a Bible lesson for half an hour, daily it possible, prior to Government time. . . . . The result has been what any one who knows the teachers would expect —glad and ready

acquiescence Request was made by some teachers for organisation into a society, and for being supplied with a syllabus for Bible instruction. The outcome was the formation of the BIBLE INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS league. Bibles were provided school committees and school teachers in town and country all up and down the Dominion furthered the scheme —school teachers themselves, in many instances, undertook to give the lessons, the clergy or devoted men and women, of different Christian bodies, undertook the work in many other instances, a simple syllabus was generally adopted, every possible advantage was availed of. Three years later (1907) the Bishop made a full statement as to what had been done by the League ; and the judgment which he was obliged to deliver after his own practical experience—

THU KESI'LT IS SIMPLY THIS. Uuder the existing conditions of religion being an “extra,” the “facilities are, to any general extant, of no benefit to the children of to-day—the men and women of to-morrow —The ‘facilities’ are futile, they have been tried and found wanting.” I think I have now shown conclusively the uselessness of the “facilities” at present afforded. In my next article I shall deal with the need for a change in the law ; and shall give a reasonable answer to all objections.