STATE SCHOOLS DEFENCE LEAGUE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 112, 2 August 1927, Page 8

STATE SCHOOLS DEFENCE LEAGUE

Sir. — The above league has issued a valuable booklet containing manifestos from sixteen prominent New Zealand educationists, giving reasons why they are opposed to the Religious Exercises Eill for our State schools. Sir Robert Stout and Mr. John Caughley, late director of education, head the list, and the local authorities include Mr. R. Harrison, president of the local branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute; Professor R. M. Algie. Professor J. P. Grossman, Professor W. Anderson, Hon. George Fowlds and Mr. F. A. de la Mare. These, and others, speak with no uncertain voice, and surely their arguments against the proposed legislation are unanswerable. The booklet has been sent to all members of Parliament of both Houses, but 1 submit that the Schools’ Defence League should circulate the pamphlet by the hundred thousand among those who elect the members of Parliament. Were this to be done it would settle once and for all the present attempt to infringe our free and secular system of education which, as W- P. Reeves says in “The Long White Cloud.” is “the pride and strength of New Zealand.” Let me quote one sentence from the foreword by the president: “It remains only for us to forecast that if the weight of evidence herein contained is disregarded, and a specious form of emasculated ritual forced upon our unwilling school teachers and schools, such a storm will be raised from end to end of this Dominion, such a sectarian battle will be waged, as will drag down from their places those responsible Tor the catastrophe.” JOHN SIM.