EDUCATION BY THE STATE.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 83, 15 October 1879, Page 2

EDUCATION BY THE STATE.

T .. -_ ; ". -;■ We know of do single subject so difficult either to wri.te or- legislate upon as Education; requiring as it does the watchful care to prevent, private feelings influencing utterances *^hich are supposed to be alone for the public good. A few week;s ago. we published m our .corrcipondenbe 'column J a letter; from Mr. BapoE upon the same subjpot, and to those to whom that gentleman is personally known, any utterance or expres-ion of opinion.— but pai'ticularly upon >uch a gi aye subject — would be sure to carry great weight. He is so highly and u.iiversally esteemed, and his tiioi'ongh conscientbusness so veilknown, that no one who read his letter would think otherwise .than that his.only reason m appearing m .piuht^was the earnest desire to see a most ihomentous questi >n immediately aud perinanenlty dealt with. We ag-r-ee with him that education without rt ligious teaching is worse than useless— :it is posili.ely dangerous —and we lately came across a luo^t uuexpected witness m the person of the patriarchal ViCToii Heoo, who sayw m .one of his works— "Those parents should bo brought before the tribunals who .sent their children, to schools over which is written— 'no religion taught here."" But while we. so readily agree wi'h Mr- BitucE as to what h required, the manner m which it is to be achieved is. not so easily agreed upon. There lire several clauses m the Education Act ,bf --such a uatui'e as to preclude auy conscieiidous Catliofrom taking einpl'>ymen,t -'-'uriUe'r the 'Education Board. The advocates qf Bible reading' in the school, we liaveub doubt, are actuated with the, niostiaudable intentions m urging i.tsintroducition, ami gentlemen with liberal views like Mr. Buuck, would do so with a conscience clause — that is, if we uuderWipk* 1 ' a certain time would be

set apart for Biblical initnystion, during which, however, the children of parents so objecting would not be asked to attend. This certainly would be a wayout of the -diflcuity a'g'far'.asoae section of the community was' concerned ; but how about the other ?, v We have now State schools with GOmpiilsory educacation, which makes it'iheumbeht -upon persons ef all denomination? to send Vtheir children, under pain of the compulsory clause being put iv execution. Well, religiou's^ihstruction would be provided for one section, and those children belonging" to the other would be allowed to grow, up without any religious training. Certainly the course proposed under the conscience clause, would be a mitigation of the evil ; but the State should have no halt-mea-sures, and where all are'ltaiedr equally alike, the benefits to be bestowed should be the same. Thedi&culty'is'aiweighty one, and it is intensified m the . country districts, for we think that! m large r centifes, such.;as..rl)unedin, .-WeUington,Ghristchurchi- ; ALuekland,;;;^-^, ■" wliere the Catholic body.is sufficiently numerous to fill large schbpis with ' tJieir own ' denomination>!<they cq^id., fairly V^comi mand assistance from the State." We know the really heavy sacrifices, which they have been^makingj in_..a^l -those r cities for conscience sake; an^' while 1 -We' see no reason, why:lhey should "not receive a prbportionY df : the rates . equal jper head to the -population,: we confess ih districts such as this; ; we. fail ; to s"e how the difficulty can be -obviated. I Without the conscience clause, reading the Bible m a State school should have our most -uncompromising opposition, for as parents are compelled by law to ■end their thildrVen,; isuch a :step, would i be nothing, more nor less:thanan .at-' [ tempt to proselytise by Act of Par]ia7 ment. All who have the? real worth of the rising generation at heart agree with Mr. jS-L4.nsx6yE, "that every system that puts religious education m the back- ground is a pernicious system," but unfortunately the solving of the j problem is a- matter yet to ; corner ' ./. yA)