SECULAR EDUCATION.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 813, 1 September 1877, Page 3

SECULAR EDUCATION.

Sir, — If a former-- 1 letter I have endeavoured to show that it is not expedient to make tbe Bible a common bocau-e it is impossible to reconcile the differcuf. denomination* 1 of Christians to its iwe. • Moreover ■ because*it- involves a question of conscience i and iufringes'upon that rdigious liberty of wliich we are ustly proud, and finally, because the most v slerna l government m the world has attempted by parejul se'ections irbm the Scriptures, to 'meet the" riij^o)»lty, and hits failed. •■ I suppo&e that w<* all agree that there ought ti be a national system of education adapted to the' state '"of sboie'ty 'amongs : us ; but bow can we enjoy the gre^t, benefits unless there i* a williuguesa on all sides to jield on poipts of difference, and to coincide forth'e phblio rjent;fit. It is difficult to writd'oh r/ 4uch a silbject without bemg suspected by drie' party of holding lax views on trfe,'theine"of'inspiration, and being chnrged \>y aTsO.tner t *with indifference of tbe I'eligiows.inter'esfs of the rising peneration. "' r .'"" j - •;•'■■•"•• Having premised these'- few* considerations, I proceed te coilsider 1 the'erid'tobe answered by our' cpmmbii' sch6'oiy.*: " * Are they' intendißd (I tpK!iVV "a religious education, or to'f urr*isßiJh'ildivn T with such a measure of kriowledge'ns 'will fit'thom for the' dischar^o? 'tße*"»busineßS : [of this life No man" r will v cori tend that .the former iB the object ■ pftiposedi ''whilst; everyone aflmifs 'lhafl r moi?e-'.timtf i; ft)r inslruction tnd inrJi'e talent m our teachers is required to secure the latterv 1 ' . Education, as the word signifies; r ie the drawing out, a'le f adi : iig. i fdr ) tb,-'of the faculties of the mind m tfcV^urstiit of knowjbdge, oi*, as the poet, expresses it, "to ti'acb the young idea liow "to 'shoot." The sprinylirne, of.lifq. jJibe.tliejßpringtime of n&tine, reqiiires'a. genialkir that the opening bud, may r,o;t<, -be checked : m its growth. The severity it some teachers and the chilling indifference of others, have blighted too often the promise of early progress, and m such hands any system of education must fail. The rudimentary ekmenis of education aie threefold,-. Xfa.djng t .. W.r^ting, and arithmetic. Without a knowletlue of the art of reading books are useless, :b.ut once ottaintd, wlmfc mices of wealth may be tfxplored.HuTo read well^ to pronounco

nlferancerto e?ery syflal)lor to^reSd with emphasis and ■ With intelljeedceV so as to thb;iißterier, as well as to Hie reader, is an acquisition of "great rvHlu£, ! demanding' inuot) vlabpuryonrf the part of th"e.vteacher, and great; Pbipß-, taki«e on' the part, of the scholar. TTh^ teacher who aims to rauke gooH readers ifa'w^B,j(li»oat patience, and the sqljejorpyjio wishes t.o excel requires, grtat, industry jj nor, is. it. uncommon for the former to losq j hig 1 t'empbr [and the latter to grow dispqu,t:ag<?d, I ask, then, is it treating the 'book 6f bboks with becoming'reverence, to.- Msccyu*e .it m the mind of the child with" impationce, rebuke and penal- s ties? . Most children take pleasure m' 1 Übafniifg" to write,- and m the schools which I have visited, the emula'ion -of the, scholars has been, manifest, and Iheeff-rte of their pens very satisfactory. But as the'ai'tfbT' writmgi is assooiatied with the art of composition, and m this corresponding age r when so many familJes are divided and broken up by emigration, and when bo inuch real pleasure!^ nflForded, when through the eye the thoughts aud nffeotions of absents friends are brought near to us, it is scarcely possible to Tittnch too much importance to the acquisition , of , the. , pen of the. readj wrjter. ißesidea, to ln'eet the demands of bukitiesß iii'an'age Wh'en all the World w' v; , , jt.be. mechanic as f Well -as; the rnanufac. 'turer 'may 'reqiiirb'' Jodls and ''machines from a (lis.tant land, t He use of an intslligent •peh'is'myalwablei - '. • . ■ _ I will not dilute upon the importance tif arithmetic to prepare the young Bcliqlai^for the business oT his future life. The liuinblest labourer needs some' know'lklgeof the;Bdiencß"'to pfotetsb" him from .the .coTetpusnes's of tlie', cunning, .and to promote 1 his interests m ! life.'' (! ;lt is a pity that., score time is not allotted to this valfible art? ' '" .'■:/;.'• • ; ' '■ i . _If then, the end of 'cjur coirimon scliool 'teaching is to fit the'child for the work of adult life, whatever intefferfeVes . with the 'acqui.ntibn of such useful knowledge may be regarded as inconsistent with the design for which, our schools are < a !.« Wished. The conclusion .to, which I coma is | ' 'this :, that the one simple object; of o ur 'comfion school teailnng &libul'd alwajs be "kept m sight, viz, to gire'the mo3t practical, and , .useful equcation without 'ailowinp any unet'essary diversion 'm the pursuit of this object; I 'atid that all the school, time, m most cases all too, little, should' be devoted to communicate to the minds of the 'children a "well grounded knowledge of the simplest elements of instruction, bo that the more intelligent j 'may flrid pleasure m the pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement m lifter v life. — lam,&c ? .J. F M M. , . .