BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 323, 12 July 1912, Page 5

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

STATE AID WANTED FOR SECULAR ) INSTRUCTION. APPEAL BY DR. KENNEDY. ' By Telegraph—Own Correspondent. Wellington, Last Night. ''lt is commonly believed," Dr. Kennedy, principal of St. Patrick's College, told the Education Commission to-day, "that we Catholics want to get rid of the present system of education, and to induce the State to pay for the teaching ' of religion. What we really want is to broaden and deepen the present system, to make it thoroughly national by bringing all secular education under State control, and l>y having secular education, and secular education only, paid for by the State wherever and by whomsoever ' it is given, to the satisfaction of the State. The State, as such, has no religion; consequently it cannot teach religion, and cannot order religion to be taught by anyone. But the State is not hostile to religion, and should not refuse to pay for a sound secular education because religious training is given as well. Suppose two schools on oppositcs of the street: one a public school and the other a private school. In both secular instruction of precisely the same character is given. Why should not the State pay for the secular tuition in both, j irrespective of religion?" "The State," continued Dr. Kennedy, '•'could have precisely the same control as regards secular instruction, and pay ■ for the work done, and not pay for the work not done. The religious training would be provided by those who want it at tlieir own expense. Such a system works satisfactorily in Fngbnrl, Germany, Holland and Camub. if such a system were adopted in New Zealand; our present system of secular education would be broadened and made thoroughly national, and something like fair play and justice would be done to all. As it' is at present, one-seventh of the population of the Dominion are excluded on conscientious' grounds, and are deprived of their rightful share of the public moneys voted for education, because they cannot conscientiously divorce religion from education. During the last thirtyfive years the annual expenditure by Catholics on the education of their children has amounted to a total of con- ; siderably over a million pounds. I think I the time has come when our demands I should receive calm and sympathetic < ! consideration. I am confident that if i ; they are put clearly to the public they j ! will meet with very genera! support."

MORAL TEACHING. NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT THE BIBLE. MISS X. McLEAN'S VIEWS. A plea for the introduction of the Bible into our schools was advanced today by Miss X. 'McLean, principal of the Wellington Girls' High School, in her evidence before the Royal Commission on education, who said that teachers were asked to undertake a hopelessly difficult task if they were asked to produce a sincere, honorable, truth-loving and unselfish type of character, without the possibility of representing to the children's minds and imaginations the highest ideal of all, and of presenting the requirements of the highest definitely. In this matter New Zealand was lagging behind Australia, where,'for the most part, the New South Wales system of Bible-read-ing had been adopted. The results of the omission in New Zealand were already evident in the unhealthy love of excitement and pleasure, as evinced, for instance, by the crowds of children at the picture shows, in the want of respect for authority, and generally the want of reverence and the looseness of moral ideas." Not to be aware of these things was to stamp one as living in a fool's paradise.

BETTER FOR THE BIBLK. Mr. Kirk:. Do you think the proportion of crime is less in countries which have scriptural teaching in schools? Miss McLean: I think in England, where Bible-teaching is given, there is a higher standard of morality and conduct than in other countries where it is not given. y Mr. Kirk then read out the long para,.graph in the syllabus dealing with moral instruction, and asked the witness if tiiat was not sufficient. Miss McLean: I should add to that'the study of the Bible. Tf that is included' the deficiency in moral instruction would not be so great as it appears now. Mr. Kirk: Do you think there is any real need for the introduction of the Bible into schools? Miss McLean: I do think there is a need. T flunk any kind of moral teaching which dissociates religion from the daily life of the people is pernicious. Mr. Kirk: Is that teaching given at home ? Miss McLean: I think it should be supplemented by daily practice in the schools. At the same time, Ido not wish to imply that the present body of teachers does not given moral instruction sufficient for the highest needs.

WHY DISCRIMINATE. DISABILITIES OF CATHOLIC 'INSTITUTIONS. The disabilities of Catholic secondary schools in the matter of scholarships and free places were clearly put before the Education Commission to-day by Dr. Kennedy, principal Patrick's College. He suggested th<>>. the Act should be amended so as to make scholarships tenable at any secondary school open to Government inspection and approved by the Minister of Education. At present, Catholic secondary schools were debarred as being apparently denominational; yet schools like Wanganui Collegiate School and Christ's College Grammar School, which, as their prospectuses distinctly showed, were denominational, were not de'barred, and could receive pupils or scholars whose tuition fees w'erc paid by the State. In the ease of St. Patrick's College, every year thirty boys, on an average, passed the Junior Civil Service examination and qualified for senior free places or free tuition in a secondary school up to the age of nineteen. But they were debarred from holding these free places in the college from which they qualified for them. Tt was. therefore, quite evident that if the pupils in Catholic primary and secondary schools were to avail themselves of free places and scholarships in the only way now open to them —that is by attending the State secondary schools—the Catholic secondary schools would have to lie closed up for want of pupils. EXAMPLE OF Al-STRALTA. "It mav also be objected," continued Dr. Kennedy, "that to allow State scholarships and free places to be held at private schools would be tantamount to granting them .State aid, and would be the thin edge of the wedge to shatter our secular system of education. But it. is not so considered in New South Wales. Victoria and Queensland, where State bursaries are open to all, and are tenable in any certificated and approved secondary school, whether public or private. As a matter of fact, to allow a pupil to hold a scholarship or free place at a private secondary school, is to grant aid, not to the school, but to the pupil or his

parents. It is the pupil, not the school, that receives State aid. Even now Maori pupils are allowed to hold scholarships in Catholic secondary schools, and no objection is made on the grounds that State aid is being given to denominational schools. Why should pupils be penalised because they are the children of white parents?" The Education Act, said the witness, did provide for the case in a general way by the section "which stated that "the holder of a board scholarship shall receive the annual amount of the scholarship only so long as he prosecutes his studies to the satisfaction of the board, at a secondary school or its equivalent approved by the board." The plain obvious meaning of the word "equivalent," was "a school giving an effective secondary education." If the word could not bear that meaning, then the Act should be amended as suggested. As the Act was interpreted and applied at present, it aimed a death blow at Catholic secondary schools. "We ask no favors," said Dr. Kennedy. "We claim fair play." To Mr. P'-H'-ii: They would be quite satisfied with the tuition fees for free place pupils.