BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 244, 5 March 1913, Page 7

BIBLE READING IN SCHOOLS.

; braxch of'league formed. 1 There was an attendance. of over a liiln'd'red at the Good Templar Hall on : Monday night, when a meeting was ad'xfres'sed by'-Mr. Little, of the Bible in State Schools League of New Zealand. Rev. T. IT. Roseveare occupied the chair, ami ' there were also on the platform Archdeacon Evans, Revs. A. H. Colvile, J. A. Kempthorne and 11. T. Peat. The meeting opened witli a hymn and pfayer by the chairman, who then introbduced the speaker. Mr. Little, in his opening remarks, ■said that the question of Bible-reading in l schools was the most important topic in Xew Zealand at the present time, and he hoped that as a result of the meeting a strong branch would be formed ill Xew Plymouth. Tie explained the objects and propaganda of the League at some length. The system was divided Tinder three heads. Every care was being taken to impress on all that the State was not preaching any special form of religion. The reading'of Scriptural lessons was the first. These Scriptural lessons were intended to impress on the child the necessity of religion, and as an outcome of the knowledge reeeked the necessity of doing what is right, towards 111011. School teachers at a recent conference in Xew Plymouth, he stated, had decided by an immense majority not to give Scriptural lesson? if they could prevent it. This, he understood, was for three reasons: First, because they feared that the curriculum, already overcrowded, would be still further added to; secondly, that an increase of work would be placed on the teacher; and .thirdly, added responsibility on the teacher. In Xew South Wales, he pointed out. the Scriptural lesson took thc place of the reading lesson, so that the curriculum was not crowded a bit more. When the system was well understood differences that were merely theoretical would pass away. The school teacher taught the morality of the lesson and drew out its beauty. ' The second part of the system was called special religious instruction. Opportunity would be afforded the Minister or accredited representatives of different churches to visit the schools in school hours and instruct the children in the religion which their parents desire that they shall be instructed in. It was the right of every British subject to say whether his children should have religious instruction or not. and then to say what form it should take. The State had taken education out of the hands of parents, and he thought rightly. All were satisfied that a national system of education was the best possible. The League wanted the State to afford every parent the knowledge, that reli-. gious influence was being exerted so that his child would be brought up in the faith that he whs. Proselytising, the greatest fear, would be made' an impossibility. The tliird part wai known as the conscience clause. Any person would be free to keep his children away from Scriptural lessons and special re- ; ligions instruction. The State or /.lie Church did not say that children must have such instruction. It still left the responsibility on the individual parent. He referred to the effect of the system on Australian States where the system had been in vogue for many years'. In Xew South Wales teachers agreed that it had not made much interference with tlicit' work: nor did it add to the curriculum of the sellools. 1 hey had never noticed any sectarian strife' among the children, nor had there been any friction between the various ministers or between the ministers and the schoolmasters.

Mr. Lit,lie answered yew iruinv questions. ;uiil at the conclusion of tln> i.-ui's-tions the Rev. A. H. (,'olvile moved— That tliis meeting is of opinion that a branch of the Wble in State Schools League should lie formed in New Plymouth. and that a committee he now set up to forward that object.

In a lengthy speech Key. Col vile pointed out that the principle was already recognised in New Plymouth In- a laiv'c number of parents. lie himself had liible-readinff at the Central 'School, after school hours, which was attended bv about 100 children. 'What was nonwanted was to make the present system efl'icient. Sectarianism would not be accentuated if the system were adopted, lie alluded to the difficulty of extendi))!* the system to the children in the backblocks schools. Mr. ('. E. 15a ker seconded the motion.

Mr. \Y. A. ('oilis thought the hackblocks children presented a vcrv nal dilViculty, and he thought they should confine themselves at present to the ii

l.roductiou of the text-books to tht; schools.

On being put, the resolution was carvied bv 44 to G. A general committee was tlien formed, consisting of Archdeacon Evans, lievs. <! .T. llobson, C. A. Ilouehen, H. T. Peat. T. 11. Roseveare, J. A. Kempthorne, A. H. Uolvile, Messrs MacDiarmid, K. B. Kittgdon. 11. (luodacre and W. H. IJutlt'r. Mesdanies Arnold Junes, (loodaere. Martin. Evans and (iasgoyne, anil Misses Devenish, Thomson and Evans.

Key. T. I[. lloseveare was appointed chairman. Jtov. A. IT. Colvile vk-e-«;lmir-nian. and .Messrs C. E. jiaker and 11. liaker secretary and treasurer respectively.