SCHOOL COMMITTEES' ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 97, 25 April 1910, Page 2

SCHOOL COMMITTEES' ELECTIONS.

THE KiSE*OSf 6¥SEE&L

As/there have been raanV references td' WWt/is ia6»a as -"Xte "ifelSofi Sfffc tern." of religioiia iastrnetion ih piiblie echoolsj we Save been 'asked to 'explain titiß S3T9tett ; Briefly stated, it consists in the shortening' of the five honre Of seeplaf instruction us\i»Uy given, daily, so as to petaiit of readofig. by voiitntary within ordinary achool-tinie. Under tbe NefW Ze&l&na Edtiftatioii Act the eAool hbuia pl-escifißed ate $0 k week 6t AYe days,! or four hour 3 a day. Most schools ao\»' meet ior five hour* a flay, but the. Board of Edneation may give school committees piirmjasion to reduce the echooi hottrs by half-an-tiotir once c Week, and the school committee may set this hajf-hofif Aside lot Bible-reading, those children shoes' : parents have an objection to their learning the Bible in-school can stay away. The coßfinittee& Tiave iised ftia fertniaaibn. in various ways, some fixing the time fo? Scriptpre-reading before the schodl begins and othets aitei- the ovdinaty work is done. At Feilding, for example, the Bible is read in the school and ifietrue- , tion imparted on one afternoon per week fr6in' 3 to 3.15 p.m. by the various Protestant ministers. The children are not '■ dismissed-at 3, and only those ■who have brought notes from their parents are allowed to leave. Four-fifths of the chil- 1 rlren stay for Bible lessons, in "Nelson the time allotted is half-an-hour. At BVnheitn the BiWe is not road b* the j children. Insttiictors from the Cnurch ■ of England, Wesleyanj and the Salvation Army attend every week fof half-an-hour, and the schooU are divided up ofttween the instructors. Other places which have adonted the 'Nelson system are foTercarjnll, Kapier, Wanganui, M-ofciinston (ttefteflrn), ,atod fiawfce's Bar. At Wan*fiTrni. as .there ar«f four sehoo'e fo provide Bible inietrnetidii for. the Ministers' Asftofiation h»+e only been sble to provide f&r dhe diy at three df the schools, hut they *fe aboiit to a.rrkn»e for file f ovtih to he SefvM also. SCHOOL COMMITTEES ELECTIONS. (to tßp Editor.) time ago the jpfesbyterian defies oi Auckland, in Presbytery settibldd, passed resolutions relative to the capture of seat* on gehool conu'ni ttecs by its nominees fe.voura.ble to Bible reading in the State schools. To-nighfc, at various centi*3 the eieeetion of this 1 proposal to commence the undermining of our splendid secular" education system is to be carried into teffeet. The work fias been done so stealthily \vith sectarian boundaries, viz., selection of candidates and quiet canvassing in so many centres —that it is expedient for all supporter: o,f secular education to roll up in force to-night at the meetings in their respective districts. —I am, ett, CIVEJ. THE BIBI*E IN fiCHOOIS. (TO the Editor.) Sir,— Wm "A Parent", tell mc vi-hy the majority of parents should be denied the right td allow their children Tead the Bible in the day schools if they so desife? Those wlip are opposed to snch teaching deonand that fcaeir feelings and feonvietidiis should be Sonsidefed; for many yeiri tiieir conVtttions i»Ve been yery much fconside?ed, ont *hat ahont the convietwns of"tk&»e wio Vn£h their Children to a»ily, read the Biole in the school? Ie such a tMag ka tlie tyranny tif inifioritiiae. a vote bis been taien in thi£ DbinittioH—fttid ia towns «id districts 4aci jplebi4cifce% have ibeen Wk6n-=4 beliieye thae has wayl hern a substantial majority in favour of the systeni. Daring last ye** it %ac 4e«iade4 that th« day'e work in the Boys* feftminar School >hduld commence Tvitli ettd prayer, ftnd the pftrente have agreed to the arrangements -eimost uneiiimoualj\ It is hoped that at no distant date the same custom %il\ be coinnienced *t the Girls' Grainritar Set Pool. Miss Whitela* has informed us that out of 150 parents 148 iife agreeable to the Bible beiag r**d at isie opehiiig of the day's studies. Would "A P&feat" advoestc that the 11& 6hdula be denied their rights for the sake of the two persons vrho have the right to keep their children away -whilst the Bible is fe*d if they bo vnsh? Those 14S pefsoii3 are part of the State. In, Qi.M«n«ta.riil, on tft* day of the Federal electrons, a Vote *ac taken wn the quefr tion of lieaicttinf the Bible in schools. We have ftbt e*»n the complete retnrns, bnfc those cabled were: For the pFopoeal, 45.232; against 29J55; majority tot, T6jflf§?. l*t the Bible be read iii **c day schools .by aJI fneaas.-^^ 5 ! am, 6tc., FAm 3PI*AY. [The Boys* Greftnnar Schodl bpetts Witli prayer, but the bible is not read. The s*me cdurse is already pursued at the Oifis' Gramn&ir Sehoel, Whfeife a hymn is als* sung. Bible ift'stfufetitfft is jaow given> *fter hont*, at the latter inetitution,- the request made by the headtnistrfess at the last meeting 6f the Board of Governors was for permieeion to read the BiWe within echdel hoalr&^Ed.l EPSOM. fte'fetisom «Shi»l »«tftct te»et tiiat to epite of stfenooae (effort* tt> ftbtala flddltional accommodation, they have been unable to secure Hie hbeessaify enlargement, with a result that the ra>U ntnntoer has lailen froni 456 to owing to the fact that the Itoerff, in limitihg the number to 450. : caused it to beeonie kno*ii in the district I that no more children would be admitted, with the Jesuit that parents sent their children to *c6lk>6lb outside. During thn year the Committee by deputation waited tipon tie Board, aid made an otfer to the ■Minister through them to assist him iv financing the extension by finding half the Interest on the money required, the Minister having previously stated that there were no funds available for the purpose. The Committee's offer. Was, however, not accepted by the Board, which refused to forward t£e snggestt&n to the Minister, notwithstanding that he bad already been inj loTmed.ol the project, end had signified lilß I willingness to entertain sach proposition if made throngh the Board. The Committee are of trie opinion that to obtain due recognition from the Board, it is necessaTy for all school committees to combine and take concerted action. In last year's report mention was made of the necessity for re-painting the school. .Freilueut application Ms been made to the Board, who have 'absolutely refuted t& do anything, the architect reporting against It, iii spite of the fact tnat the paint is so-' peKKhea as to afford no protection whatever. lire sfr&uads have been , maintained In good oifler, and several improvements have "been made , to the outbuildings. In December examinations, thirty-four out of thirty-six children obtained certificates of proficiency. In the Collins Bros. , writing competition, the first Sand third places were won by pupils of t£e 6CBOOI, while nina other children recelvea prizes of. diSerent valnee. Tie income Of the Committee has been £ lIS 10/6, and the expenditure £100 li/T, leafjng a credit balance of .£-17 18/11.,