The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 13.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4596, 13 December 1875, Page 2

The New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) MONDAY, DECEMBER 13.

Abolition of Provincial Government is almost sinking into insignificance compared with education, which is likely to be made the test question at the majority of the elections. It is satisfactory to find that the policy of the Government regarding it is in accord with public sentiment. Mr. Richaedson, in his speech at Christchurch, said :—" Another question upon which the electors are no "doubt desirous of knowing my opinions

—and they are perfectly right—is that ?' of education. I consider that it is the " duty of the Government to see that a " fair education is provided for every " child in the colony, and that education " must not in any way interfere with the "religious scruples of any denomination " whatever. It must be, as far as the " State provides it, a purely secular education. It must be also the duty of " the Government to, provide liberally, f probably by scholarships only, for the ''higher education of all those children " who, at the lower class schools, may " show aptitude for learning,, and so put " those children in the way of getting the "very highest education the country can " afford." There is no ambiguity whatever about this deliverance, and we trust when the Education Bill is introduced it will be found to come up to this promise. The Education Bill of 1871, of which Mr. Gisbokne speaks with so much affection, was practically a Bill for establishing denominational schools ;—a mere patchwork performance, put together with scissors and paste by the Secretary of the Otago Board of • Education, with the religious instruction clause added. Now tho Otago Education lOrdinance is objectionable inasmuch aa it,makes the Bible a class-book in tho common schools, and however much we may revere and prize the Bible, we;do not think, in a mixed religious community,, it should be a classbook in daily use in State schools. The Eoman Catholics object to the Otago educational system on this account; but if the instruction imparted in the public schools was purely secular in its character, this ground of objection would be, cut from under their feet. While this grievance exists there will be more or less reason in the objection of Bishop Moran and his co-religionists. Most fortunately, we. think, at this juncture, comes the deliverance of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, as published in our paper of Saturday. - From some .unaccountable cause the Christchurch newspapers did not devote much attention to

the deliberations of this Church Court, —the highest in the Presbyterian ecclesiastical system. This fact is to be regretted, inasmuch as on the education question at all events, the deliverance has been sound, liberal, and politic. The following resolution was unanimously adopted" by the Presbyterian General Assembly at Christchurch : " That the [education] report _ be " adopted ; that the Assembly remit it to "the committee, and recommend the "ministers and members'of the Church "to see that due means are taken to " watch over the interests of bothelemen- " tary and superior education, and espe- " cially to promote the establishment "of a national and undenominational " system." Here again there is no mistaking what is meant. The Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, by the unanimous voice of its clergy and elders in their constituent capacity, has declared in favor of '' the " establishment of a national and unde- " nominational system" of education. We know that theWesleyans, Baptists and Congregationalists agree with the Presbyterians, as do our Jewish friends, who form an important, element in the population of New Zealand. The Anglican churchmen are divided in opinion on the subject, and we regret that in one diocese atleast,thatofDunedin,theyhaveseriously injured the cause of primary and high class education by their obstinate sectarianism. It is to be hoped, however, that the New Zealand branch of : the Anglican Church will see the propriety of uniting with the various religious denominations named in securing for the youth of this country the highest possible standard of secular education, taking measures for the religious instruction of the youth belonging to their church in some other way than by intruding upon the necessarily limited time devoted to secular studies. Far be it from us to depreciate or undervalue religious instruction. It is quite as essential as secular instruction, but it ought not to supersede or impede the latter. Religious instruction, worthy of the name, cannot be imparted to children by the simple reading of a passage in the Bible without note or comment. The argument of Roman Catholics on this point we hold to be unassailable. Every liberal minded man will readily admit this. How, then, is religious instruction to be given without interfering with the functions of State schoolmasters ? A correspondent pointed out one way the other day, in a published letter. He would leave the local committee to decide the question, only prohibiting the use of the school building for the purpose during school hours. This is his way of doing it; but, exclaims another correspondent in reply, "the " Roman Catholics being in the minority " in every school district would have no " chance of having the use of the school " buildings for their religious instruc- " tion." This fear may be groundless, but it is perfectly natural, and the only way out of the difficulty is to refuse the use of school buildings for sectarian instruction, leaving the various church organisations to provide in some other way for the instruction of their young in dogmatic Christianity. Either this will be done, or the members of the various sects will fail in their primary duty. They are without faith in their own system. It is not sufficient to build handsome churches, at a very large expenditure of money, which are wholly unproductive in a pecuniary point of view, if they are to be practically shut up and useless for the greater part of the week. Why not assemble children in the various churches for religious instruction at stated times during the week, where the sacred character of the place would impress the youthful mind with that solemnity of feeling which the schoolroom cannot possibly do, but on the contrary is calculated to produce the very reverse of a devotional spirit. But be that as it may, it is clearly impossible to satisfy all religious denominations on this question, except by excluding religious instruction altogether from public schools. It is the duty of the State to provide such educational appliances as may enable parents of every grade in society to provide a sound secular education for their children at a minimum cost. This does not debar religious bodies establishing their own schools in centres of population, where they may be conducted successfully; but on no pretext whatevei should State aid be given to denominational schools. " Pay only "for results in secular instruction," urge the apologists of denominationalism. This is too transparent a trick to pass muster. "Buy the straw," cries the itinerant vagabond in a country fair, " and you'll get the book for " nothing." It comes to the same thing whether the straw or the book is paid for, so long as the money finds its way into the vendor's pocket; and in like manner to subsidise denominational schools, by paying for results in secular instruction, would be taxing the public in support of any religious sect which might adopt this method of securing State aid. The example which the Rev. Mr. Sidey, of Napier, gave of the working of this system in Hawke's Bay, ought to warn anyone who desired to have an intelligent and educated people in New Zealand not to have anything' to do with denominationalism. As the Rev. Mr. Ross remarked, " de- " nominationalism in education was pri- " vateering on the part of the various "sects concerned, while the State, as " their parent, supplied her children with the resources of war." The Rev. Mr. Giliies, of Timaru, thought the Hawke's Bay case was an exception, but we can assure him it'is nothing of the kind. The denominational system was in force in the Auckland province from 1857 till 1867, and while education in the towns was kept at the lowest possible state there was no effort at all to establish schools in country districts. This was at last effected, however, under the purely Secular Common Schools Act, 1870, under the ..provisions of '.which, ' and with very scant means, some forty new schools were established in the outlying districts in the first twelvemonth. Nothing could exceed the abase of the old educational grant in Auckland by some of the denomiations " working the Act," except perhaps it was the gross perversion of educational trusts which unfortunately fell under the administration of ecclesiastical sectaries. '■. This question has a direct local application at the present moment in "Wellington. There is an amount of pressure being put upon the Education Board to establish a denominational system of education which cannot be too strongly condemned; and as. the General Government are likely, to deal with the whole question next session, judging from Mr. Richardson's speech, it is only right and proper that representatives ' should be returned pledged to support them in establishing a secular and national system.