THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8245, 25 September 1906, Page 5

THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

A large and representative deputation from the Bible-in-Schools Referendum League was introduced by Mr Sidey, M.H.R., to the Premier yesterday morning. The Kev. Dr. Gibb set out the desires of the deputation, and, in ctoing so, used arguments already familiar to lollovvers of the agitation in the past. He stated thai tho gravest dissatisfaction continued to exist regarding the continued omission of Bible-teaching from fcbo curriculum of thu State schools. Tne league was not opposod to the present education system, excepting so far as it failed to provide for the moral training of the childrou attending the schools. Matters would uever be satisfactory until the Bible was introduced into the sohook. Criticism had been levelled nt jalnistera of religion because they had not takfn Advantage of supposed opportunities of teaching the children aftur school hours. But it wai absurd to auk ministers of religiou to enter the schools under present couditioue. Teaching after school hours waa aiaijiy impossible. It might come to puss tnafc the churches must attend to religious instruction, and if that ivny tie, then reasonable facilities must bo offered. The churches could not be content ■ with things as they were. Some change must be effected, unless the community was to bacomo frankly pagan. Agitation for Bible-'ioaohing would never cessa until some solution of the .present problem was found. The contention of the league was that, as the State had undertaken the ediuuit'on of fiha children, it must cure for their moral as well as their secular training. The sobools were those of the people, and not of t'.ie legislators, an,d because of the peculiar difficulties and delicacies surrounding the question the Government should introduce a referendum or plebiscite Bill which would enable the matter to be put to the people for settlement.

The, Bishop of WelSiogton said that it was the extreme urgency of the case that had brought the deputation forward again, and it represented the great majority of the ioligioua people of the colony. Dr. Wallis said tiiat the privilege now offered of giving religious instruction in State after the regular hours was utterly illusory. Tho people thought that pcfaooi committees were bound to allow ministers of religion to teaoli after hours, but that was a mistake. There v;aa no reference to ministers in the Act. It was impossible to expeofc ordinary childron to listen to religious instruction after hours, and whilst other children were playing outside. In the dairying districts.of Taranaki and Wellington, also, it had been found that parents wanted their children home direcSly after school was out. The league wanted power, with couscientioua exemptions for scholars and teachers, to have simpla instruotlon in thu Bible given to Sn the State school# during the ordinary day's work of those schools.

The Premier agreed with a great many of the remarks that had been made, and ho believed himsnlf that the young people of Mew Zealand, or oi any other country, snould have a grounding of religious instruction to fit them for the battle of life. The position of affairs was as well known to the deputation as to him. The Government of tha day was the custodian of a system of eduoation that was secular, free, and oompulsury, and the duty of the Government aud of the Parliament, irrespective of any private views held by individual niombers, was to see that the system waa carried out faithfully in acoordanoe with the law That was what the previous Government had attempted to do, and what the new Government was trying to do. He agreed that it was very rliffioult to give tho children religious instruction after school hours. Few children oould be got to remain, and there were objections to any invidious distinctions. His own opinion was that the Government and the Parliament would not be favourable to a direct plebiscite on the question. Any proposal for the alteration of the syllabus should first receive the approval of Parliament, and then bo submitted to the people by means of a referendum. If the Government once took a direct plobisciteon the Bible-in-schoola question, the people would be doing nothing year iu and year out but vote on referendums. There were agitations for many matters to be submitted to the people by plebiscites, and political men would recognise the danger of a surfeit of political agitation. Ha was oortain tbo Government would not favourably entortain a plebisoite on any matter, and quite obviously the deputation would see the reason for this. The syllabus, for instance, would require to be outlined, and the right people to decide what the syllabus should be were tho people's representatives in Parliament. The matter was one on which the opinion of bin colleagues would have to be takon beforo he could give an opinion personally. He was rather doubtful whether much could bo done this session.