The Education Question in New South Wales.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 16, 17 April 1902, Page 5

The Education Question in New South Wales.

His Grace Archbishop Kelly opentd a bazaar a few days ago in Sfc Benedict's parish, Sydney, in aid of the funds of the new house for the Marist Brothers. In the course of an address on the occasion the Archbishop referred to the education question. ' What,' said he, 1 were the principles of primary education ? They needed only to be understood. If the people of this country were restricted to partial nourishment or constrained to use unwholesome food, could it be expected that physical well-being and corporal strength would be promoted ? The only reply to this question was a protest against the abuse of reason implied by the very supposition. Thus it was with Catholics in the present question. They regarded it as impossible to secure the perfection and happiness of man in any sphere without a sourd and complete education from youth upwards. They did not find this iudis-p^n-able provision in any eecular school, however perfected within merely seculcir limits. Reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, history, science, and technical instruction, with drill, music, drawing, etc., were good and necessary. No fault was conceivable in zeal for these branches according to circumstances of person, time, and place, but reason itself asserted that man needed in addition the culture of his moral and religious capacities. The Catholic Church taught that parents were in natural duty bound to provide

A Complete and Perfect Education

for their children. From the first beginnings of conjugal affection the duty of consulting for the interests and well-being of their offspring was inculcated upon parents as paramount. To them alone belonged the correlative right of educating physically, intellectually, morally and religiously. The Church had a special mission direct aB to faith, morale, and discipline ; indirect as to human culture in learning, arts and science, and professional training. The acknowledgment and exercise of these rights from the beginning of the present era were attested by all historians. In latter times the State existed to protect the rights of individuals and society. It might coerce culpable parents in all matters of public cognizance. Society must be protected from the consequences of degeneracy, disease, ignorance, immorality, and irreligion. Thus with good grace the State proposed to apply public funds to educational work. The parent and the Church welcomed this aid without prejudice to their natural and divinely given inalienable right. When difference of

religious denominations prevailed among parents the State might not deprive citizens of any particular creed of their share in financial or other assistance towards procuring a better education for the physical and intellectual faculties of their children. Such deprivation or denial was sectananit-m and injustice combined. If the State would refuse io give 1o Catholic cituens what was their due, the Catholic Church faced the inevitable with trust in God and iv her children. She opened fcbonlrf such as were necessary to her mission. All branches ol human culture wero included in her standards. She engaged teacher*, compiled her own book", supervised her work, and iuvi'ctl public inspection. Thus sbe acted at present here and throughout the univrrt-e. In Australia within 21 years she had accomplished in the domain of Kscular instruction work which

Would Have Co^t the State £2,500.000. Her children formed one-fourth of the population. She claimed to have her schools recognised "by their efficiency in the standards of secular education, had b^en unjustiy lefused. She did not acquiesce in this inji;siin\ She culd not attribute it to any but motives rooted in bectarian animosity, or inspired by dislike at least of practical faith. She could not — even though some would — desist from her determination to maintain a complete system of education for her children. This wou'd be to abandon mankind and nations to error or corruption, or to both. Her mission was that of "the light of the world and the salt of the earth." Otherwise Christ and His Church could not claim their belief. That Australia urgently needed the leaven of religious doctrine and the filial fear of God was confessed by the majoirty of her citizens, This fact would strike any reader of the articles published in their daily press. For the sake of Australia all should sustain the principle of bringing education up to their actual requirements. The Catholic Church did so in the spirit of duty, and, God willing, she would continue to do so. The bazaar they were opening was carried on in aid of funds to defray necessary expenses. No work more laudable or more meritorious. Opponents had said and repeated that Catholics won't content themselves with State school education. If they would have the luxury of denominational schools, well, let them pay for the daintiness. The reply could be no other than the imputation of wilful hypocrisy on the part of men who blushed not to utter and to publish

Such Ignoble and Cruel Cant.

But even though is were as the adversaries of the Catholic Church suggested, the State was not excusable from sectarianism if it refused to religious schools remuneration for their work in the secular standard. Why should the State refuse to pay the same price for secular teaching in two schools built side by side 1 The teachers in St. Benedict's Public School were paid for educating the children of that locality in reading, writing, arithmetic, etc., but the teachers of children of the same district in St. Benedict's Catholic School imparted the same instruction and they were refused payment by the State. That was an injustice not; to be tolerated, and never to be accepted by any citizen who loved justice and freedom and equality. In apologising for the length of his remarks, the Archbishop said the subject called for their best and fullest efforts. Again and again should they, as Catholics, return to the topic connected with their Catholic schools. It was happiness indeed to be of use in a caute s>o vital to the happiness of the people, their homes, and the Commonwealth as a whole.'