SECULAR EDUCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 37, 9 March 1909, Page 4

SECULAR EDUCATION.

BISHOP NELIUA.S .-j .VIIAUL VIGOROUS REl'lA' 13 R SUi KOUEKT STOUT. INTEREoTING CORRESPONDENCE Auckland, March o. The Herald publishes to-day interestrug correspondence that has passed during the past few nifjitlls between Dr. Neiigan, Anglican Bishop of Auckland, and Sir Robert .Stout, Chief Justice, with reference to New Zealand's system of pdiiualion. The letters refer to llu* siatemenU which Rishop Neli<.;an was reported to have made at home last year in regard to the national system oi education in New Zealand, and in the course of which he was stated to have icierred ! to the existence of "paganism" in New I Zealand. These criticisms were subsequently replied to by Sir Robert Stout in an article in the Now Zealand Herald, and the correspondence in question folpapcr report of his remarks) in writing admitted the correctness of the newspaper report of his remarks) in willing to tlie Chief Justice, said that Sir Hubert Stout has based his criticisms on a summarised report of iiis (Bieiliop Neiigan V remarks, but his Lordship docs not state what he really did say. lie continues : —" With neither the »ugic of the conclusions you draw from admittedly vitiated premises, nor the expressed view.-, which you, in common with myself, are entitled lo hold concerning religion and education, have 1 any concern at present. My concern is what makes in a nation for fairness, justice, honour, ami generosity in public life. Actions that make again?t these qualities hurt national life." OUR FAIR FAME. The iinal letter in the correspondence, which was written by Sir Robert Stout last month, contains the following remarks '" Tam afraid that you do not yet realise the position 1 have taken up, and fail to appreciate the resentment amongst many in New Zealand at your attack on our system of education and on the fair fame of our country settlers. If one public man attacks a .system in force amongst us, attempts to "weaken or destroy it-, and in order to accomplish that end attacks the character of some of our settlers, then there is a live question between us, and no other. I much regret that you do not set; this. The question really is : Was my criticism justified by the facts ? 1 wrote, as I slated, under the assumption and assurance, though 1 was loth to believe it. that the report of your sermon was accurate, If it was. 1 was justified. If is was -not. I was not. And how easily you could have set this matter right ! Vou have, however, failed to say whether there was anything in the context of your sermon that modified or nullified the part reported, and what inference must anyone, whether trained in law or theology..draw from such silence 7 Will you even now say wherein the renort o;i which I founded my remarks was inaccurate or misleading V And, if the report was correct, attempt to justify your statements 2 1 feel sure that if you had examined the statwtics of crime,'for example, and had witnessed the growth of altruism in New Zealand during the last forty years, you woum 'nave found that ethically our people Had improved. The people who are the most criminal are not those who have been trained in secular schools. Relauudy lo our population, morions crime nas lessened since 1577, and the New Zcalandcrs trained in our secular schools compare moi'c than favourably with those brought up under the sanction of ecctesiaslidsm." " GOD IS AN EXTRA."

In noticing a magazine article written by the bishop hi July but, Sir Robert says: "J do not think you fairly state the position of the Slate secular school when you say 'God is an extra' in siieli a school. The phrasi- ,n the writings of a layman would be (teemed to lack reverence. It will depend, no doubt, on how wc define the terms we use whether your criticism is just or fair, or neither. If to acquaint boys and girls with the cosmos, to teach them something of the universe and the immensities with which we are surrounded, is to 'make God an extra,' then Ave do not agree in the use of the English language, f should imagine that attempting to teach children what are, after all. pin-points of belief and postnrings would be. lo use you: 1 phrase, to make "God an extra.' We difl'er in these things, and so il'i the people of New Zealand. Hence the need <>f the State shutting out from its school* religious opinions and confining its efforts to {lie leaching of real knowledge and true morality. It has been painful to me to write as T have done, but mv devotion to a henefieient system of education. with which 1 have in some small way Ueen ,£or over forty years, must be my excuse. Part of my ereed is that anyone Hint attempts to destroy our secular system of education, and to create divisions and heartburnings ;nti<mgs| us by denominational school system, when established, weakens it everywhere/'