South Canterbury Times, MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1881,

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2567, 13 June 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, MONDAY, JUNE 13, 1881,

The South Canterbury Bijble in Schools Association has been formed, and probably in the course of a fortnight the vote of parents of children will be taken. We do not wish to say one word in disparagement of those who believe they are acting in the cause of religion and adopting the best available means of furthering fits progress A display of bad temper and ill-feeling would be most inappropriate to the the subject. The members' of the Bible in Schools Association, ntf doubt, act on principle. Those who arc opposed to them are guided by expediency and experience. It is the never-ending battle between theory and practice. If the majority of parents of children pronounce in favor of Bible reading, Parliament will be asked lo amend the Education Act. The subject thus enters the domain of practical politics, and the first question which should be asked is—“ What will be the result? ” Ail knowledge is the result of experience, and there has been sufficient experience on the subject under notice to enable one to fo 0 -ast the future with tolerable accuracy. It should not bo lost sight of that secular education is of recent growth in the colonics. The young criminals who arc now entering upon man’s estate have been brought up under the denominational system. We rare constantly told owing to secular education only in schools our children .are growing up heathens, and the ran) pant larrikinism of the

large towns is adduced as evidence. Time is. overlooked by the advocates of religious instruction in r schools. The true fact is, that the" larrikin is the product, of Schools where religion was made aspocial and iihportarjt feature of the t&lching. Of course we do not wish to infer that this is in any way attributable to the essential principles of religion. It is partly through the irreverent way .those principles are imparted. A few years ago the denominational and religious system was more generally adopted in the towns than in the country districts. The limited number of children and their scattered condition in rural districts compelled the absence of religious instruction from the ordinary schools. There were not sufficient scholars to support more than one school. Diversity of opinions amongst parents kept the discordant element of sectarianism at a distance. The country lad is an angel compared with the town larrikin. Now, it is not even hinted that religious instruction has been the cause of the difference. It was other and far different conditions which which were at the root of the deterioration of the town boy, and caused him to grow up a moral pest. But it is perfectly clear that the feeble religious instruction of the schools accomplished little in keeping him clear of the had influences of association. It is the weakness of those who plead for religious instruction in public schools that they either will not or cannot grasp the whole facts.