DIOCESAN SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION.

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4292, 2 May 1879, Page 3

DIOCESAN SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION.

'The two-monthly meeting of the association took place la.t evening in the College Library, the chair being taken by Mr H. B. Webb, one of the vice-presidents of the association. The proceedings; being opened with prayer, the Chairman, after a few appropriate remarks, called on the Esv. Mr J. W. Stacjf to read a paper on the advantages of Sunday sohools.

The Bey. J. W. Stack prefaced his paper with some observations on the necessity of supplying a religious education to the children of both sexes. He referred to the amount of religious training derived from the weekday instruction in State schools and the Sunday schools. He remarked on the neces■ity of inf using a thoroughly religious element into the mental training of the children, which was of the highest value. He then enlarged on the difficulty of eradicating injurious influences imbibed by the children before they came within the eoope •■ of Sunday school teaching. This, to.a certain extent, he attributed; to this latitude, and freedom in the Home control tended to foster-rather -thai to check. He then referred to the several reasons which induced the children to attend the schools, alleging that a large proportion were actuated by many motives-of personal gratification rather than with a pure and wholesome desire of being taught.. He was of opinion that the existing machine!/ for imparting instruction in infant schools was very defective, which was attributable to the fact of the religious element in its earliest stages having been neglected. This, he thought, oould be remedied by the formation of infant Sunday sohools, which should instil reverence to God, to their parents, and their. teachers. It was a great objeot .. to teach p re simplicity of thought, through tbe medium of Bible lessons to the little ones, and no more delightful task could be found. After seven years of age they would be eligible for removal to sohools for children of a more advanced age. There were about 60C3 children of tender age in the diocese who could be. benefitted by the establishment of infant Sunday schools, which was the foundation of making them afterwards good Christians and good men and women. ■"'■'",■

The Bey. Mr FlaveH at the invitation of the chairman, made a few remarks on the value of Mr Stack's remarks, and he thought not a moment should be lost in acknowledging the indebtedness of the meeting to the rev. gentleman. He thoroughly endorsed Mr Stack's opinion, - and thought that religious instruction oould not be commenced too young, that is when the children were old enongh to be benefitted thereby. He would suggest a definite - age for the commencement, iay five years _ of age, and a sine qua non was a thoroughly competent teacher, in which respect they might take a lesson from die Jesuits, who always chose the most accomplished teachers to mould the chfldr-o'• minds, lady teacher* as a rule he did not approve of, but he oould not say top much of the value "of those who were thorongbly train-xl, therefore they should be chosen from clever pupil teachers or ladiee trained at the ISormalSchool, especially under the .--lindergarten system. Tp jreeh teachers he could imagine no more deb'gh__nltask_han the education of yonng| children. He again

[thanked Mr Sbs* fo* 7 b-in_in«,f the subject. The -Bey. •_..•& d-d-flirt altoget&er agree -with the somewhat gloomy view taken by Mr Stack. Ha was more hopeful of the future of the children of the present generation, whom it was rather the fashion to speak disparagingly of. He quite felt the importance of the infusion of religion into a ohild's education, and was glad to hear that the question was being warmly taken up by the Australian papers, more especially the " Australasian." He enlarged on the value of home religious training to the young, whioh was sure to bear its fruit in the future. There were about SC3D children in the Sunday Schools of the Church of England, and j with the children belonging to the Roman Catholics, Presbyterians, and other bodies, would make _ a total of about 20,000 j children receiving religious instruction, and he considered this hopeful, although the nature of the instruction might certsunly be improved. Above all, he thought the children should be first imbued with a love of religion in the home circle. Mr Stack had made an allusion to a children's church service especially adapted to their capacity, as a preparation for the Sunday school. This was a most valuable suggestion. The Bey. Mr Penny thought it wonld rather savour of schism to have a separate children's service in another building, with its own accessories, but he would hail with satisfaction the holding of children's services in the regular established church, and the making of such service more directly applicable and attractive to the children. He then made some practical suggestions on the method of infant tuition, drawn from his own experience. He thought that well trained young lady teachers .wouldi be the best they were likely to have for some time to come. •

Mr E. J. T. Ford feared that Mr Watson had over-estimated the number of children in the Sunday Schools, which he thought would not amount to, more than twelve or thirteen thousand. The greatest difficulty they had to contend with was the of teachers, especially those adapted to give efficient teaching to infants. He quite agreed with Mr Stack's, view that the most efficient teachers should be employed in this direction, and that every effort should be made to obtain them. He approved of the Kindergarten system, and would like to have its principles practically explained. Mr Watson explained that the system was teaching by object lessons, but he did not see how that could be adopted in Sunday Schools.

Mr Searell remarked on the advisability of separating the vrry young children from their elders, who might possioly set them a had example. The Chairman 'spoke in favor, of separate children's services suitable to their comprehension, which he considered would give greater opportunities of fostering a love of religion than the regular services,! which ware beyond their understanding, and had the effect of sending them to sleep. The Bey. Mr Stack having replied to the various- speakers,: , , * .

The Bey. Mr Flavell announced that their next meeting would be held in St. John's schoolroom, on the 14th inst, when, a lesson would be given by Mr' Twentyman. It was hoped that a special service for the members of the association would be held during this month, and the yearly.meeting would follow on the same ■ evening.. Haying served the association for two years, he'thought it best to reiign his position as" secretary, though still willing to do all in his power to promote the objects of the association. '. Votes of thanks having been passed to the Bey. Mr Staok, for his valuable paper and to the chairman, the meeting terminated in the usual manner by singing the doxology. -