Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1895. RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4968, 6 March 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 1895. RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

We have some reason to believe that the lending lights of the North Wairarapa Liberal Association are either festive bachelors or married mon who do not contribute pupils to tho public schools of Mnsterton. Thoy have no responsibility with respect to the education of children belonging to themselves, and therefore they considor themselves specially fitted to lay down the law for other people's children. They have, too, this advantage that they possess no direct stako in education, and under these circumstances they can steer a bold course without risk or danger to themselves. We aro not at all surprised that on Monday evening lust they passed the following resolution : " That this meeting is of opinion that the introduction of religious teaching into tl|e public school at Mastcrton is calculated to injuriously affect, the system of secular education at present In vogue. This Association mora particularly condemns tho action of the Maslerton School Committee for having granted permission to the ]{ev A. 0. Yorkc, to impart religious instruction in the school building after suhool hours," To them the education of children is a system and nothing more, a system of which they know little aud care less. They only regard it as a Liberal fetish, a sortof graven image to which it' is incumbent upou them as domoorats to bow down aud worship, Wo on tho other hand approach the subject from an entirely different standpoint. The writer is .a parent who has children attending 'iho State School, and who is anxious s,# fjjpy''should profit as much as possible be a somewhat imperfect and d&r fectivo system. He has to accept the i system because, like Aaron's vod, it,

swallows up all the other little rods which, but for it, might he profitably engaged in training the young idea. It is a monopoly and, like all monopolies, Ims drawbacks as well as advantages, In Mastertoh, a boy cannot very often be sent to any other school, than the State establisbmont, Tlio public school becomes Hobsou's choice, and the system is forced down the parental throat. When it was proposed to permit Bible lessons to be given in the Masterton public school, the writer asked himself whether such lessons would be profitable for his own children, and he came, without hesitation, to the conclusion that they would be. He also argued, that if they were profitable to bis own children, they would also be advantageous to other people's children. He was also pleased to notice, that other parents took the sumo view that he did, and expressed a wish for their children to attend the bible classes. It is all very well for philosophical members and childless managers of the North Wairarapa Liberal Association, to denounce religious instruction in schools, but parents know what is good for their children and like it. It is true that they arc sometimes a little indifferent on the subject, and sometimes a little afraid of that Liberal fetish which is a would-be King Herod amongst little ones, but the writer knows very well that the honest feeling of the majority of parents is on the side of the Bible in schools. Nearly thirty years ago the writer was a teacher in a Public School in the Wellington Province, and it occurred to him that a little Bible reading in school hours would be a good thing, and he consulted the parents on the subject. They all favoured the idea, notwithstanding that several Catholic children were attending the school at that time. There is little bigotry or narrow niindedness amongst parents, but simply an earnest desire that as many good influences as possible .should be brought to hear on their children. Politicians have made a fetish of our school system, and swear by it as if the Country would perish if anything happened to it,but we fail ourselves to discover its special merits. It does not adopt itself to the requirements of the more earnest and intelligent parents, though it may suit political tyros of the calibre of the North Wai'rarapa Liberal Association. The other day the head of the Wellington College took the opinion of the parents connected with lliatinslitution.astothe expediency of regular Bible lessons in its curriculum. We believe the response of parents was decidedly in favor of such instruction. The experience of intelligentand educated parents is altogether in favour of school Bible lessons. The action of the Masterton School Committee in deciding to allow biblical instructions to be given after school hours, is, we feel sure endorsed by parents generally, and as long as the Committee has the fathers and mothers on their side, they need not mind very much either the Liberal fetish or its devotees in the North Wairarapa Liberal Association.