EDUCATION AND THE LABOUR PLATFORM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 2310, 2 August 1921, Page 4

EDUCATION AND THE LABOUR PLATFORM.

LETTER FROM THE CITIZENS’ PROPAGANDA COMMITTEE.

The following is a copy of a letter sent by the Citizens’ Propaganda Committee to the annual conference of the N.Z. Labour Party, which sat in Wellington recently:— “Sir. —My attention has been drawn to a remit from the Dunedin L.R.C. proposing that the New •Zealand Labour Party advocate ‘secular’ education for primary schools. Permit me, Sir, to state that the English Trades Union Congress have dropped ‘secular education debates. My authority is Professor Thistleton Mark, of Manchester University, who, in his work, “Modern Views on Education,’ states: — ‘We have, in the decision to abandon in future the secular education debate at the (English) Trades Union Congress, an indication of the nation's weariness of the discussion.’ A correspondent, writing in the Melbourne ‘Labour Call,’ 3rd June, 1015,,states:—‘The Labour leaders of' England have recently" spoken strongly in favour of sympathetic relations between “Religion and Labour,” and warn their people against “anything happening that would alienate the Labour movement from religious faith. Partly as an outcome oi' this, “secular education has been dropped from the English Labour platform." ’

“The American Federation of Labour in 1015 pronounced, as follows in regard to religion:—‘Nothing would be more injurious to the welfare of our movement than the injection of questions relative to religion. The American Trades Union movement from its inception has excluded all questions of a sectarian nature from its conventions, and this rigidly applied policy has made it possible to build up a united movement which otherwise would be impossible either to secure or maintain. American Trades Unions, as is their right, have insisted upon complete autonomy over the politics of the Labour movement upon this Continent.’

“During the last eight years four State Legislatures in America have passed laws allowing Bible reading in schools without comment. (The entry of clergy into Stale schools is unt allowed), hint American Labour lias made no official protest. “The American ‘lnitiative and Referendum Acts,’ first advocated by the American Federation of Labour, permits referendums on the Bible in schools question. “The German Labour Government, with 105 majority Socialists in the National Assembly of .123 members, has provided for optional religious instruct ion in schools. “In Poland (independence recognised L 015), the second Polish Minister of Education, I\. Prauss, who j, ii Socialist, worked out a regular school programme, in which religious instruction was to he provided for it' wished.

“Russian Bolsheviks, who cut out religious instruction from the schools, have abandoned their antichurcli and anti-religious propaganda. “Democratic Finland (population three millions), with a single Chamber, proportional representation, 40 of its legislators Soviel Democrats, and with 2,009 co-opera-tive Societies, allows religions instruction in Stale schools. “The New South Wales Labour Party, which first captured the Government benches nearly 30 years ago, has never interfered with the Bible instruction given in State schools, nor does ‘secular’ education appear on their platform.

“ ‘Secular’ education does not appear on the South Australian Labour Party's platform. “My Committee have no desire to win over the New Zealand Labour Party to eland for Bible muling in schools, as it is considered that such subjects fail outside the Labour province; but con>ider you should be neutral.

“My point is to show that if your I Party persists in advocating ‘secu- ! h;r education, it is not helping to popularise the Labour Party, ns, they (Labour, alien would side with the Secularist Party, thus antagonising a'large section of voters, 130,000 of whom in 191-1 signed the petition for a referendum on Bible in schools, backed .by the churches. Your movement in that event can be classed as Bolshevik, finite out of line with the English-speaking Socialists, who are not anti-Christian. (See ‘Modern Democracies/ by Viscount Brycec, Voi. 11, p. 627). Bryce also says, on page 319, that the New Zealand Secularist Social Democratic Party opposed the Bible Heading in Schools Bill in 1914. The German Social Democrats also advocated, without success. the secularising of schools. “It is maintained that not only does the advocacy of a ‘secular' system draw heavy tire from the* Church Party and parents, but this ‘secular’ action in helping to break up the, present national system of education in New Zealand, because the Church Party, not being able to get Bible reading in State schools for their children, are now erecting day schools, which are a success, as the following proves, viz., ‘At the last'annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute (or State Teachers’ Association), Mr 11. F. Wilkinson, 8.A., contended that during the last five years private schools had gained a rapidly increasing hold on the public, their numbers having increased three times as rapidly as public schools. He submitted the following remit:— That a Committee be set up to re ; port to the executive on May 31st, 1921. on the undermining of the Na-

tional system by private schools. The matter was referred to the executive for consideration.’

“It is equally obvious that the present system of ‘secular’ e due action is- unpopular, and that there is strong feeling in favour of some form of religious instruction or Bible reading by a considerable portion of the community. This has been shown in a remarkable way by local referendums or plebiscites on the question, and also by the success of the church day schools which specialise in religious instruction.

From a democratic point of view, our Committee stands for a national syslem of education, and see danger in the children being divided up into denominational schools or camps, as this leads to sectarian hate and strife which will intrude itself iifto every branch of our social and political life. But no Government can adopt a Bolshevik attitude and suppress church schools; that would be intolerance, for this is a free country. “It is clear, so educationalists say, that a purely ‘secular’ system is out of date, and that in order to popularise the present State schools a measure of Bible reading is wanted. In this connection I beg to quote from a fairly recent work on education, ‘The Gary Schools,’ by R. S. Bourne (1915), with an introduction by W. Wirt, Superintendent of Schools, Gary, Indiana, p. 101 (Religious Instruction) :—‘As long as any considerable number of the parents of the children in a school believe that religious instruction is valuable, no public school, which pretends to he really public, can refuse to release children for (his purpose.’

“It is a foregone conclusion that if ihc national schools want to hold their own there must he some measure of Bible instruction provided ill the syllabus. There should he no difficulty about this, seeing that Bible instruction is provided in the New Zealand High Schools and colleges, whit’ll are semi-State institutions, receiving Government grants. If a boy goes to school iu any other part of* the British Empire nearly all the Education Departments in the various countries provide him in school time with a knowledge of the literature, high ideals and moral teaching of the English Bible, which tend to make him a. , better citizen. Therefore, Laving: made enquiries abroad os regards the various Bible in Schools plans, our Committee have come to the conclusion that the English Board or County Council system of Bible instruction is amongst the best. It allows Bible reading, but prohibits clergymen entering the schools.

“It seems inexplicable that the New Zealand Labour Party should aid in prohibiting in schools the use of a humanitarian peace book like the Bible. W. Graham, M.A., in his work, ‘Socialism, New and Old,’ declared that ‘Moses and the Prophets were Socialists’ (and was.not Christ an Internationalist”?)• M'hy does Labour prohibit the children in the primary schools from receiving a knowledge of Bible teachings, yet make no protest at the Bible being used iu New Zealand s scmi-Siate secondary schools and colleges of the rich man? -

“Our Committee suggests that the English or American plant lie considered, viz., the Education Boards to prohibit, or allow, the Bible to he read by the teachers without sectarian comment. No clergy to he admitted to the schools; a conscience

,-louse for teachers and scholars; Jewish children to receive lessons from the Old Testament; Scripture work not to be officially‘examined; the London School Board Scripture .syllabus to be used. “In conclusion, the increase of juvenile crime in New Zealand must make every citizen consider this subject. The picture show is not to blame altogether; but deficiency of moral and religious training is.

“The editor of the Muoriland Worker, of July 28th, 1920, says on Bible teaching:—‘We yield to none in our admiration of the Bible as a piece of literature, and have seen no eulogy of it from tbs standpoint that did more than justice to it. . .

To read the Bible as literature is a splendid exercise.’ In conclusion the editor says: ‘Let us have Bibletouching'by all means if it sun be (aught as the works of Shakespeare are taught, for the value it has as a sublime record of human thought, human striving to find out the un-

known.’ “The Children’s Bureau of the U.S.A. Department of Labour has issued a new dodger headed: ‘What Growing Children Need.’ The requirements are set out under the headings of ‘Shelter,’ ‘hood, Religious and Moral Training/ “Freethinkers like Haeckel and Huxley, Socialists like Count Tolstoy and Bernard Shaw, have strongly urged the use of the Bible in the people’s schools. ’