EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1659, 9 January 1917, Page 3

EDUCATION SYSTEM.

DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS

REFERENCE AT TEACHERS’ CONFERENCE.

“That the Minister of Education be congratulated on his firm/ stand in refusing the request for subsidised denominational schools,” was the text of a remit which (mine up for consideration at the annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute onMonday morning. The motion for the adoption of the remit, was proposed by Air H. F. Andrew (Auckland), who, in doing so, said that it was a very debatable point as to which nation or which State had the best system of education, but one thing was sure — that it they wanted to find education at its lowest ebb (hey must go to the nation or the country where the church had interfered with education. The speaker went on to refer to the existing condition of affairs in Austria and Germany. In the latter country, he said, there was a seemingly efficient system of education in co-ordination with denominational or semi-denominational schools, but it had at least threegreat weaknesses as a result of clerical interference. For many hours a week the boys in the German schools were taught religion, and yet these schools had turned out a set of men not only guilty of crime at home, but also guilty of some of the foulest crimes imaginable since the beginning of the present war. It would he idle to say that this was the result of religious leaching in the schools; but it certainly seemed to prove that the school was not the proper place for the teaching of religion. Religion was not a thing which could lie taught like the three “R’s”; it needed to be set apart from the drudgery of school life. The proper place to teach the child religion was on the hearth in its own home beside its mother’s knee. (Applause.) In conclusion, Mr Andrew said be desired to heartily congratulate the Minister upon his attitude, and (rusted that he would be long spared to safeguard the present system of secular education. All’ll, A. Parkinson (Wellington), seconded the motion, remarking that he did so with a good deal of pleasure, and, at the same lime, with a full sense of responsibility. They must till believe, he said, that the present system of education was seriously threatened in that most important aspect —its freedom from strife, and sectarian bitterness. They had been told of another organisation, however, which had patriotically suspended its operations during the currency of the war, hut the organisation was a strong one, and, no doubt, at the conclusion of the war a strong attack would he made. He had already suggested the formation of an Educational League, not only for the purpose of advancing the cause of education, but of defending the system already in existence. He trusted that the Institute would speak with no uncertain voice to the country. There was no doubt that the Alinister would need all the help the Institute could give him in repelling the assault which was surely going to he made on the system of education.

The resolution was carried unanimously.