RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 225, 21 September 1921, Page 7

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

VALUE AND DISADVANTAGES,

A LONG DISCUSSION. WELL-BALANCED RESULT. EDUCATION BOARD DECLINES REQUEST. After a lengthy discussion upon the desirability or otherwise of giving permission for religious Instruction in a primary school, the Education Board this morning found itself divided into two equal portions of live members for and five against, and accordingly ihe motion ol" the chairman (Mr. E. ('. Banks), to permit this teaching as an experiment for six months at Rotorua, was lost upon bis own casting vote to "leave things as they are." The discussion arose from a petition by residents of Rotorua, who wished "Tlie Nelson System" of Bible study in school. The previous request was not granted. At the last meeting Mr. Reynolds (chairman of the Rotorua School Committee) waited on the Board, and was later informed that consideration of the petition and request had been deferred till today's meeting, and meantime be wrote a further letter expressing the almost unanimous views of the residents in favour of the proposal. This letter was read in committee. The Christian Science Committee in Auckland also sent in a letter on the same subject, stating its views upon Bible reading in the schools. SECTARIAN FEELING POSSIBLE. Then came tho discussion, which was opened by Mrs. N. E. Ferner. She considered that if certain portions of the Rible, such as the Beatitudes, the Sermon on the Mount, and some of the Psalms could be taught as literature then tbe teaching could be admitted, but she was certainly not going to support the teaching of religion by members of the various denominations, as it would lead to the rousing of sectarian feeling.

The chairman said he was going to propose that the teaching unanimously asked for lie given. The parents and committee were evidently of one mind iv tbe matter, and the Board should respect their wishes. If this were done Auckland would not be the only Board in New Zealand which had sanctioned this form of teaching. "If we can get a little religion into the- younger generation by allowing religious teaching for half an hour a week then we will be doing the right thing."

Mr. Murray, interrupting, asked if it were religion, and the chairman quickly replied that it was no joking matter.

Mr. J. Boddie put his finger on the pulse of the feeling in the room when herose and said he would not stand for any dogmas. It is a very delicate subject, he said. "There is a lack of something in the minds of the younger generation that is very deplorable indeed. There is an utter lack of respect for parents, for old age, and for all those things that should be respected." He felt that if a judicious use of the Bible were made in the schools it would be a very good thing indeed. 1f the people who controlled the schools were not in favour of the introduction of this Bible teaching it might be a delicate matter for the Board to introduce the subject, but when a school committee was in favour of it. and both they and the parents asked for permission to carry it on. then he thoujujlt it would be very unwise not to give them a sympathetic hearing.

Mr. G. W. Murray was next. He began by giving his youthful experiences in the matter of religion. He had pondered deeply over the matter, nnd had come to the conclusion that the best thing in the world was not a dogmatic religious belief, but was based upon mutual service. He would not support the measure in any way. shape, nor form. UTTER LACK OF REVERENCE. "I agree very largely with Mr. Boddic's remarks," began Mr. 11. !S. \y. King. But ho considered that Bible teaching in the schools should be a national and not a parochial tiling. "There is an utter lack of reverence in the world to-day. (Hear, hear.) It was full time for this subject to be taken up throughout the whole Dominion. The home was often at fault in the matter of the minds of the children, and he thought the school could and should take the place of the home in laying a religious foundation in the minds of the young people.

Mr. Murray: I don't agree with you in that.

Mr. King completed his remarks by saying that if preachers of different denominations were brought into the schools it would cause sectarianism. The whole matter, he thought, should be threshed out on the floor of the House.

Mr. W. J. Campbell said he would support the motion, but he did not agree

with the principle. The Bible was far too good a Book to be brought into the schools "at the back door," as was happening in this case. It should be brought in in the proper way. Legislation was the way to do it. Mr. R. C. Smith thought the wish of the people of Rotorua was so unanimous that it should be sanctioned by the Board, and Mr. J. D. McKenzie suggested that the law be amended so that it could be done. Mr. J. S. Bond gave his support, adding that he hoped the time would soon come when a text-book based upon Biblical teachings would be in all the schools.

EVEN VOTING. Practically everybody having spoken, the chairman suggested a way out of

the difficulty. "I am going to suggest this," he said, "because I can see tbe Board is going to be equally divided, and I am not going to give a casting vote." Mr. Banks then went ahead with his suggestion, that permission be ■ given to Rotorua to carry out its proposed scheme for six months, and permission be given to no other schools in the meantime. That aroused some more discussion. , Mr. Murray asked if preachers of all denominations would be admitted to the school during this weekly half- [ hour, and when told that the Board j could do nothing less, he asked would i an agnostic preacher be allowed in, or a Unitarian? This difficulty was even-i tually surmounted by deciding that any clergyman who represented a registered i religious sect would not be barred. The j motion then read: —"That permission be! granted for six months provided that a j clergyman representing any registered j religious denomination is given the i right to enter the school during the j weekly half-hour." , When the motion was put, Messrs. j Banks, Bond. Boddie, Campbell, and Smith were the ayes, and Mrs. Ferner, with Messrs. Burns, King, Murray, and McKenzie, were opposed. This left the position just as it wa? before. The chairman said he would not give a casting vote, but later he gave the formal one, to let things remain as they were, j The motion was therefore lost. I