THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Southland Times, Issue 1551, 15 March 1872, Page 3

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Sir, — Perhaps you would kindly allow me space for a few words about the education question, which is agitating the political mind jusfc now. Regarding it public opiuion seems to have branched off iuto two main stems — the national or secular, and the denominational. It may safely be regarded as impossible that sane men could believe iv the probability of a State church being ultimately established in this country, or in the likelihood of a denominational system remaining for any time acceptable where religion is divided into innumerable sects ; one is therefore driven to conclude that the denominational party allowed feeling or prejudice to overrule judgment when they inserted t!ie thin end of the denominational wedge in shape of an aided school clause last session of parliament, and are preparing their utmost to drive it home next session ; or that they wish to render abortive any attempt at State education. Supposing them to succeed in* legalising the expenditure of public money for the purpose of engrafting particular creeds and systems of theology on the mind of the rising generation, their triumph would be momentary, because immediately would ensue a general sectarian scrimmage for the funds, involving the establishment of many inferior schools where only one superior one should be, &c, and soon resulting in repeal of the Act. Thus would the educational cause be retarded, and the country more or les* demoralised. The secularists are divided into those who would and those who would not exclude the Bible from public schools. Although we have no State church, we have a national religion, the groundwork of our national prosperity, the ruling element for good in our laws and social arrangeineots, and it is founded on the Bible, which every man who professes Christianity believes to be the word of God, and therefore a divine and authentic record of man's origin and destiny, and of his duty to himself and his Creator. It may therefore be assumed as highly improbable that,in a Christian community, public money could be more judiciously spent than in teaching a kuowledge of that record. To exclude from public schools the most important element for good in our social and national laws, and leave it wholly to the desultory teaching of parents and Sabbath schools, were clearly a wrong which no expediency would neutralise. There are those who affirm that to place the Bible in the bands of " the people" is unsafe. It is evident that they are wrong, and in support of this opinion, I would adduce Great Britain and Spain asexainplesto prove — in tbeone case, that mental and moral advancement and material prosperity may co-esist with liberty to read the Bible — in the other, that degradation of people and country may co-exist with the interdiction of Bible reading. Nowhere was that book more carefully kept from the people than in Spain until the late revolution established religious freedom, and made it no longer a crime for a Spaniard to read or teach the Bible. Let creeds be avoided in our public schools, but not the Bible ; it is the common standard of the common faith, and by all means I would say let the youngsters read it. — I am &c, Se.