THE EDUCATION ACT AND BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 101, 29 April 1910, Page 6

THE EDUCATION ACT AND BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

(To the Editor-) Sir, —You will, I trust, iwrth your accustomed fairness, permit mc to state that the opinion of the Hon. C C Boweti on the intention of the Legislature in relation to Bible lessons, when it passed the Education Act, is wholly different from that expressed in your article of last night; and as Mr Bowen was the "Miinsfcer fn chaTge of the Act when it passed through PaJ-liament, his opinion on this point is of the finst importance. Tour statement of ihe intentions of the Act, within school -hoars, is perfectly correct, hut you do not deal with the question why does the Act only require four hours per day for secular instruction? "When arranging, some years ago, for Bible lessons in College-street School, Pahncxston North, of which I was then chairman of Committee, I sent the following question to Mr Bonven, telling hsn that I wished to make public use of his reply: "Was it your expectation at the time of the passing of the Education Act of 1877, of which you ha< charge, thait, as the schools of the oolonj generally opened at 9 ajru, the require ments of two hours of consecutive se cular teaching before noon would alloy school committees, where they desired it to arrange for Bible lessons -between i and 9.30 a.m., and still learve time to comply with the requirements of the Act?* To ■that question Mr Bowen replied: '""Yes, the (Legislature deliberately left the matter in the hands of school committees; in fact, this question was left to the school committees so that every district should make its own arrangement.'' And in a covering "letter "So mc Mr 'Bowen made it dear that he was perwmaffly in fa*onr of some saoh arTangemeni as the Nelson system. Now this "makes it clear that in requiring only four hours' secular instruction per day, the Act deliberately leaves it in the power of ttte local authorities to arrange for Bible lessons if they wish, "ft also shows that in extending, by regnlatkrns, the time required !foT secular instrnetion io five Jiouts per day, for five days in the -week, the Bdncation. Boards ere 3ejtfLvlng tire, jjehooi conma&eea <a£ jjowex.

wEich, by the Education Act, was meant to be. left in the hands of school commit,iees. It is well that this should be known iby school committees and by the public generally;; and it justifies those who are in favour of the Nelson system demanding that Education Boards" shaL 1 arrange to leave this- matter in the hands of school committees.—l am, etc., ISAAC JOLLY. The Manse, Ponsonby, April 27th.