New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1876. THE NEW EDUCATION BILL FOR ENGLAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 174, 28 July 1876, Page 10

New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1876. THE NEW EDUCATION BILL FOR ENGLAND.

At the present moment there is not much probability of securing attention to the subject of education. Not that the people fee) little interest in it, but because other more stirring questions are just now engrossing the public mind. The day is not far distant when the education question will assert itself and become the leading topic ; but certain financial questions affecting the entire colony, and the great questions of Abolition and Separation must be finally disposed of first. Nevertheless it strikes us, if iL were only for the purpose of putting the matter on record, it is now our duty to place before our readers and the public some account of the New Education Bill, introduced into the Imperial Parliament, and of the principles on which it is founded. The principle of National Education in England is denominational, and this principle the Government of the country is determined to maintain. It is true, indeed, there are school boards in some few places, and some purely secular schools. But these are exceptions sanctioned by the Legislature to meet exceptional cases ; and the Government is determined the secular principle shall not be extended beyond the extreme cases to which it was originally intended to apply. England encourages and aids denominational schools, and the present Government proposes to increase the aid already given to these schools in poor localities. But knowing that there is a mass of ignorance, which is beyond the reach of denominational exertion, the Imperial Parliament authorised the election of school boards and the imposition of rates to supplement denominational schools, and bring the means of primary education to the gutter children. The policy of this measure, however, is that school boards should not only not interfere with the schools of the denominations, but should not even become rivals to them. Lord Sandon, the vice-Chairman of the Board of Education, or rather of the Committee, of the Privy Council having charge of education in England, in introducing the new Bill declared that he would not accept the proposals of the Birmingham League as to the enforcement of compulsory attendance at schools, emphatically declaring that School Boards had been comparative failures. This is very important, and we commend it to the attentive consideration of colonial statesmen. His Lordship went further, and stated the fact that School Boards have been an enormously expensive machinery, and that the results have not been commensurate with the outlay. Consequently, in the face of such an experience, the Government cculd not recommend, could not even suggest, the establishment of School Boards universally throughout the country, for to do so, " would be," says Lord Sandon, "to ' sound the knell of every voluntary school in the kingdom, and would lead to that which, I think, the whole country abhors and detests, — a general system of secular education." Further on in his speech, he says, " Nothing would be done to strike a blow at religious teaching"; and, he added, "1 hope and believe that religion will remain one of the main features of the teaching of this country." There is one other passage which we must not omit. " I wish," he says, " I could express more than a hope, but I trust that any proposals will be carefully watched, which may tend to undermine the provisions for religious teaching." The policy of the new Education Bill is to discourage the establishment of new School Boards, to encourage denomina. tional schools, to give great additional aid to these in poor localities, and to make regulations for securing a better a tendance of children at school; This is a wise jpolicy. The

Government of England not only permits all to come to its aid in the matter of the education of Jthe masses, but holds out a premium to the various denominations to maintain and establish denominational schools. And it is only when these denominations are unable to meet the wants of the rising generation that it permits — nay, reluctantly permits — the existence of School Boards and secular schools. Denominationalism, then, is the leading feature, indeed, the very principle, of the law of England in reference to popular education, and Secularism is the exception — a deplorable exception — which nothing but the gravest necessity can excuse or tolerate. All wise statesmen, as "well as alltrue Christians, will applaud the determination of the English G-overument to uphold principle of denominational education. It is the only principle that can secure the moral and intellectual training of the masses, and the peace and well being of society. It is to be hoped that in the new Education Bill, which will be sooner or later proposed for this colony, the principle of deuominationalism will be a leading characteristic. The various denominations of the colony should be encouraged and aided by the Government to establish schools, and purely secular schools should not be tolerated, except when there is no other provision made for primary education : and denominational schools should be the rule, secular schools the rare exception.