BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 167, 17 July 1931, Page 5

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

ENABLING BILL CRITICISED. "DISRUPTION OF SYSTEM." Strong criticism of the Religious Instruction in Schools Enabling Bill was made by speakers at a meeting in the Kitchener Hall last evening. Upwards of 40 people attended the meeting, which was convened by the Secular Education Defence League. "The bill goes considerably beyond the earlier measure providing for religious exorcises and Bible reading,"' said the Rev. W. Jellie, who presided. "The bill proposes two things—a form of religious observance and a period of religious instruction. The effect of the bill will be to establish by law a system of compulsory sectarian religious instruction of a Protestant type. The term 'compulsory' is accurate, because the existnnce of a conscience clause does not remove the compulsion element. The bill makes a fundamental change in our education system.' , Mr. F. A. de la Marc, of Hamilton, described the bill as a. blank cheque which the Government asked the people of New Zealand to sign. Spain, Italy and various other countries were throwing off to-day the very tiling that was proposed here. If the bill became law the Roman Catholic Church "would have an absolute right to demand subsidies for its schools, because under the scheme the secular principle would be abrogated and the teaching of Protestantism would be carried on at the public expense in the State schools. The Roman Catholic hierarchy had a keen sense of its own interests and. knew this perfectly well. Definite moral instruction in echools was advocated by Mrs. M. M. Dreavcr. A motion was carried expressing resentment at the introduction of the bill as the first step toward a disruption of the present national system of education.