THE Mount Ida Chronicle THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1877.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 443, 11 October 1877, Page 3

THE Mount Ida Chronicle THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1877.

The Colony has elected to establish a system of State education which is to be secular, free, and which is also in a restricted senso to be compulsory. _ Foi many 3'cars a faith has been cherished with unusual tenacity that a modicum of religious formula: must accompany all instruction in secular subjects. This grand old faith round expression in the religious clauses of Mr. Bo wen's Education Bill. In Catholic countries religion is generally understood to relate to all that is known to the people of the attributes of that which is divine. As inculcated by the violent opponents of secular schools, it would almost appear, to be the knowledge of the divine assimilated down to tho very weaknesses of tho strictly human, Happily religion has existed, and does at the present time exist, in spite of all our formulas and creeds. To formulate religion is at once to cloud over the face of truth ; it is to obscure by artificial oncas'merits that measure of rovclaLion which might at once bo discerned but for our own folly. And yet, as the human partakes so little of the divine, creeds, as a condescension to mortal weakness, have always been tolerated by the gods. Creeds and religious formulas at their best are but glittering shells, and too often come to be valued for themsolves, while the nobler life they have enshrined is altogether forgotten. Religious clauses in an Education Bill fire >.n theso days but tho trashiest symbol, the insistence for the necessity of which gives ground for fear that the living tnuh it is intended to unfurl and keep alive has ceased to be apprehensible. The secular system of education about to bo established is no doubt a concession to tho general wish of the people. One denomination alone, certainly one seventh of our population, adheres to the old faith which has been referred to. At the same time it would bo an act of injustice to suppose that tho Roman Catholics are content with a formal rending of tho Scriptures to a school of undirected and inattentivo children. They, in common with all Christians, maintain that religion is more than Bible reading : that it can, and when true does, permeate every task of daily life without of necessity being so much as directly alluded to. Many sincerely religious mon disapprove of a perfunctory exercise of scriptural rending ia the day schools as having a tendency to set up as an idol that which above all other is written as they believe by divine Ikfinspiratiou for tho best instruction of men. Catholics in Hawke's Bay, Nelson, and Westland have for some time been tacitly content with State secular schools, in which in the majority of cases lay tcrtchers of their own denomination have been employod to teach the children in lay subjects only. Holding seats upon tho Education Boards of these Provinces, Roman Catholics are found sitting in perfect concord with their Protestant colleagues, and vieing with them in their efforts to further the educational interests of their districts. While, then, the Church in this Colony dislikes tho narrow sectarianism of the secular school system, it dislikes even more the so-called anti-sectarian schools, in which a colorless religious formula is daily gone through, whilo half the children, in theory at least, Bit outside under tho school verandah. The • Tablet' in a late issue goes so far as to half admit the necessity of secular schools being made use of in the country districts, as we find its editor condemns Mr. Sheehan for opposing denominational schools, and giving as his roason that such schools failed in the country. Our contemporary, as we understand, replies that such a defence is no. condemnation of denominational schools in towns; that both systems can at any rate exist side by side in the towns. The real difficulty to be faced is the continued unaided existence of the numerous private richoots in the country. They have not beon as efficient in the past as their beat friends could wish. Tho supply of good teachers has been spasmodical in tho extreme. The financial position of tho private schools will be no worse than it has been, They will, however, be placed at this extremely unfair advantage, that thoparonts will havo tho option over beforo then oyes of sending their children to th< State schools freo of all charge. On the one hand, there should and probably wil 1 bo a good free secular education offeree

to them ; on the other, they must maintain a costly education, which without a miracle will not be able to compete with the results obtainable in schools the teachers in which "will be sufficiently paid and well trained. When the early zeal of resistance to what is unjust wears off', the voluntary tax muintained for conscience sake will be a heavy burden cast indirectly upon the clergy. This onehanded tax will press upon that section of the people perhaps least able to bear it. _ Tho Catholics ure already unduly weighted in the support of their churches and in making suitable provision for the clergy. To still further handicap them by keeping up the war of creed against the free Slate schools at the cost of maintaining separate schools throughout the ] country is to press with too great soreness upon their material prosperity. We admit the prosaic nature of our argument, our utter leanness of soul. Tho necessities of the people compel us to the argument, which cannot be ignored. Let adults stint themselves if they choose; they are their own masters. But for the children we plead ; they cannot plead for themselves. They must suffer, and too often go scantily clothed and fed, in order that the sectarian schoolmaster may be paid. Our readers cannot accuse us of wishing to see the Catholic schools closed ; far from it. If any effort of ours could obtain a fair recognition from the State for all such schools as were subjected to rigid inspection, and in which certificated masters only wore allowed to teach, that effort would not be spared- Such recognition is not at present possible. Secularism is in the saddle ; the phrensy must be ridden out to the bitter end.

In the interests of the children, we appeal to the clergy and laity upon our scattered Goldfieids to accept a position which is in the meantime inevitable, In the State schools the children of neighbors need be no more divided in the schoolroom than in the playground. In a few months formulated religious exercises will be no more expected by the children than they are now expected in the workshops. If the great sacrifice of opinion that is pleaded for cannot be made, no one dare judge his neighbor. Tho responsibility is his ; the future is his. Ours only it is to watch and suffer while the innocent are neglected because of the discord among sects who acknowledge one Head, who look to one future, and who also aro bound by common ties of nationality which no sectarian differences can separate. In "Dunedin, Auckland, and Wellington private schools can be creditably maintained, for the people are more wealthy and the children more numerous. In the country districts this is impossible. The instruction will too often be deficient; the schools will receive an inadequate support, and a great portion of that support will be given with an ever-increasing unwillingness. We have nerer disguised our opinion that the State is committing an injury upon a largo minority. That injury does not justify the minority in inflicting another and a greater injury upon its children. The first consideration with every one who loves New Zealand must be the. education of her children. These aro tho children of the State, not of individuals.