A SUGGESTED FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 8, 21 February 1907, Page 11

A SUGGESTED FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION

To the Editor. . Sir,— At the end* of the able and .interesting. xi&M% which Mr. Scot I has done rite the honor of jvWjStSng.Xßst~ answer to my ' discordant note, 1 three .questions are asked, which fairness to my esteemed opponent and to the subject commands me to answer. Such is my apology for trespassing once more on your kind forbearance. • -••-—' (a) 'Isitor is it not desirable that our Catholic schools should receive payment from the State for the hard work that is done for the State..? ' . It "--is. undoubtedly desirable, as a matter of justice, that, ,',l H*?^ ment should be made to our schools, on a oasisft " JiodSlponly of results but also of attendance, as~the work'of" teaching 1 dull "children is harder than obtaining results from bright pupils. No Christian State would hesitate in this matter. But modern States are so infected with that kind of liberalism, which is praclicaKatheism, that they view- with disfavor any -measure of fair' play or just remuneration to the Catholic Church, no matter how well earned. Hence it is- that soj many "onerous and sometimes insulting conditions are laid down by the State before a^ grant- may be obtained by the Church. Shguld the liberty of teaching, belonging to the Catholic Church by every right, be impaired in, any way, for instance by onerous conditions affecting the appointment of teachers, the choice of books, the imparting of religious instruction, etc., a noble refusal on the part of the Church would be preferable. Poverty with freedoam would win my favor sooner than slavery with golden lace (b) 'If it is desirable, has "Tuba" any scheme to suggest whereby this desired result - can be brought about ?' No new scheme, .but the continuation of the work going on .so well," and this at " the risk of _'a part of our earnings going to support the Catholic schools — a perfectly safe investment from every point of view, at the risk also of beating ,the streets regularly to worry our n~eroes whose help is, in the wrong direction. A good long time before the elections, our people ami their friends might be pressingly invited and instructed to withdraw' thjeir 'support from . candidates opposed to the Catholic claims— in other words to vote like Christians. (c) 'If he has not; why throw obstacles in the way of an experiment being, tried, which js not in conflict with any Catholic principle, which m<ust : '-do some'good,and which may do a great deal ? ' Here the conference or mutual understanding with other religious bodies on the education question is meant, and on "this point, the note which is going to be blown will be more outrage- , ously discordant than ever. First, allow me to say that I am not throwing new • obstacles in the way of an agreement, I am^only noticing the obstacles already existing. Such obstacles are not of our" own making, and to remove them is not "in our powers The -experiment suggested is not in conformity with Catholic practice,', and practice is always founded on some fixed principle formulated or under- .

•stood. The experiments, if tried, will fail, and therefore will do no good. Now for the reasons for my'belief on this point :—: — (1.) The principal obstacle to -an understanding between the Ca&holic Church and other religious -bodies on the iqiueation of education, as well as on pther'iq'ues- • tions, comes from an absolute want' of a defined attitude against the secular system of education. By the large majority of Protestants, the secular system has been accepted, at leasti by the laity. If -it has been opposed by some of the clergy, the opposition' has been so- weak as to leave no mark on the politics of this country. The only attempt at mending the secularism of the system- comes from the Bible-in-schools party, and what- agreement is possible between that party and the Catholic Church is known to everybody. .(2.) It may be possible to begin negotiating with one of these numerous religious bodies", \as to the ending of such negotiations, this is another affair. Religious bodies outside the Catholic Church • are 'so numerous at present that .the continuation of the negotiations may easily become like a case in Chancery — interminable, and the time at our disposal is fearfully limited. (3.) The demand for remuneration on, the part of the Catholic Church is clear, founded on ' real and solid work shown by the Inspectors' official reports. People may open their eyes to consider our. claims, then admit them pr reject them. Not so clear are> the claims of other religious bodies. Have they ever been formulated ? jThey are to be ascertained, yes. I was forgetting that, ( it- is the beginning of. the interminable task, which 'itiis proposed experiment jplaces 'bef pfre us. The Catholic ' Church -has a system, a policy ; the other denominations have none on the education question. We are told that the . Church shouldseek for the help •of these denominations as if unity of action could be obtained without unity of principle and system. This proposal reminds us of the fellowship of the kettle and of the earthen pot". The journey of the Catholic Church on the path of Christian education is difficult enough without the encumbrance of one or. more brittle companions, whose only help will consist in> getting broken to pieces ;■ then the sure-footed traveller will have the additional trouble of picking up the fragments and carrying them. (4)- Is there any precedent in history of a deputation sent by the prelates of the Catholic, Church to other religious bodies to form a league for the protection of Christian interests ? This question is just, put for the sake of obtaining, more information- on this important subject, and if such precedent exists, it will be a welcome guiding light in this new venture. Such a step might be easily construed by non-Catholics as an official recognition, on the part of the Catholic Church of other religious bodies as faithful exponents of Christian 'doctrimjet— a recognition which thje Ch. urpfti can never give. All attempts at bridging the wide and deep chasm separating the Church from non-Catholic denominations are feats surpassing human skill, and my conviction is that the Catholic Church will unite with other religious bodies when the Tower of Babel will be finished. — I am, etc., i . i „ i i ■ .' TUBA.