THE Evening Star. PUBLISED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1880.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3628, 12 August 1880, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 1880.

The question of introducing into our State Educational system the reading of tbe Bible has of late come up for discussion in Parliament, through the exertions of Dr Wallis, Sir W. Fox, and others. Teaching children, without at the same time giving them religious instruction, or at least allowing them to read a portion of the Bible, is considered by a section of the people as highly reprehensible, and so determined are the members of the Eoman Catholic Church that their children shall have the desired education that large schools have been erected, supported solely by the members of that persuasion, : Those opposed to the introduc. tion of the Bible made a great point of the objections which it was said parents were Sure to mate if their children were taught Scriptural subjects, especially as the religious creeds of all sections of the community could not well receive attention. We were always in favor of the advocators for the exclusion of the Bible, not from any objection to the reading of the Scriptures, but because of our belief that it would best suit the majority to leave the regions teaching of children in tlur hands 'of the parents and their spiritual advisers. However it is only fair to state that the experience of the London School Board, who require that instruction in Scriptural subjects shall be given either first or last in the morning's work, goes to prove that no objections have been made to the regulation. In an article in the Leisure Hour upon the schools under the Board the following appears on the subject :—". In accordance with a provision of the Act of Parliament,.* 1870,' it was required that children whose parents objected to 'their receiving instruction in Scriptural subjectsijhall be withdrawn from it, and shall receive instruction in secular subjects during its continuance. This provision was made in expectation that a considerable section of the lower classes would then object and would insist on withdrawing their children. How completely this expectation has been falsified many illustrations may be given, but from the experience of the writer of this article may be mentioned that he visited Turin street School, in the east end of London, about nine months after its opening; and the head master, who then had 709 children under hinv stated he had not had a single instance of a child being withdrawn from Ihe Bible teaching. Before coming to Turin street, he was master of another Board school for fifteen months, and during lhat time enrolled 3003 children, ard only one was withdrawn. In most schools under the Board, Biblical instruc tion occupies the half-hour between a quarter-past nine and a quarter to ten. At a quarter to ten the register is marked in black ink, which chronicles the lato and absent. This be'ng done,.'secular work forthwith commences, and must be carried on for at least two consecutive hours in the morning, and for the same period in the afteuoon. The two hours in the forenoon are devoted, as a rule, to the more serious subjects; the lighter work, such as drawing, singing, needlework, and bo forth, being reserved for the afternoon. In all Board Schools in London, whatever may be their peculiarities, as to premises, general arrangements, number of scholars, and so on, the curriculum is substantially the game. If is, in fact, arranged partly

by the Board and partly by the Education Department of the Privy Council, which holds out certain substantial payments for successful teaching in specified subjects, thus practically determining what subjects are to be adopted, the great work of the Board being to devise the means by which they may bo most effectively taught. The article goes on further to describe the list of secular subjects taught, and their classification into essential, discretionary, and extra subjects. Among the essential subjects are music and drill, and the singing taught by the Tonic Sol-fa system. The writer speaks highly of the results from the course of teaching, and gives the whole in detail.