THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Press, Volume XL, Issue 5755, 28 February 1884, Page 5

THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

TO THB KDITOB OF THB PBXSB. Sir, —With jour permission I will, in conclusion, give what Mr Saundera says no one of your correspondents have yet given—a straightforward statement of my objections to the present system of education. (1) It takes nptho whole available time of the children on five days of the week in cultivating the mental faculty, and thus leaves out the education of toe moral nature, the right training of which can alone make the cultivation of the mental power a means of good either to the individual or to the community. (2) It imparts, inferentially, to the children it educates the notion that a clever use of the mental power is the one tiling needful, even for this life. The above are my reasons for obkctlng , to the present system of education. It may be said that the cultivation aright of the moral faculty is carried out by the use of our present school books. If so, then our school books aro inconsistent with the spirit of our Education Act, and contrary to Mr Saunders* dictum, the State iemeddling with, religion. But although our present school books do contain statements of both moral and religious truth, ie it not a fact that, unless the mind* of the children are specially drawn to such statements, their minds will, in many cases, fail to grasp them) especially when such are made the vehicle chiefly for the- iaenjeaj. tion of a knowledge of reading, speQtge, and grammar. It may also be eaidTnat our State schools leave Saturday and Sunday free for the importation of other knowledge. True, but Saturday, is either a play day or a work day for the children, accordiug to circumstance?, and the few hours at the best, and in some cases (those where the children's minds most need the iuipartation of moral and religious truth, viz., where they are in charge of vicious or careless persons, who neither teach them themselves or trouble to see that they are taught by others) no time at all on Sunday, is certainly not sufficient for the acquisition of that knowledge whereby pnv Bona are taught how to rightly use t&elr mental faculty, and to conduct themselves aright towards both God and man. Mr Saunders is scarcely statesmanlike in ignoring the following existing foots, viz.;— (1) The existence and increase in numbers of schools other than thoee provided under the Education Act. (2) The present recognition of religion: by the State. (a) In its Statutes. (6) In its Courts of Justice procedure. (c) In ite prayers offered at the meeting* 'both of the Legislative 'Council and the House of Representatives. (4) Many of the people of the State will not let morality and religion alono in oonnection with the education of their children, even though at a cost of time and money to themselves. (5) The distance of a felt unfairness on. the part of those who refuse to submit, where they can help' it, to .an " Act of Uniformity " in matters educational (by-the-by, I am inclined to believe, that my friend Mr Saundeve would, heartily object to either "Acts of Uniformity, 0 or "Monopolies," save in the matter of education) will not tend to wear off angularities, or prevent prejudices being instilled into the minds of some o! the children of this country. I fear that this new system of .secular education is the outcome of <l) An attempt on the part of our, legislators (for it was not wanted at the tune by the people generally, nor is it even now) to cat' the Oordiaa knot ot the religions difficulty, aa it ia called. (2) A rationalistic spirit on the pftft of some, which virtually ignores the necessity of Divine guidance- and blessing in order to real success, individual or national. Here, I may say, is the missinjr link that Mr Saunders cannot find between arithmetic and religion. (3) The policy of the Soman Catholic members, who got the Bible reading provision thrown out, because they aoula not carry a provision for denominational, teaching for themselves. The lapse of time will prove whether it it is necessary to individual and national success that as a part of their education there should daily be impressed upon, the minds of tne young, the valua of God 1 * help, and of His blessing. The Birmingham School Board has. re-introduced the reading of the Bible into ite eahoola, and only the other day we read as Sydney news—"ln the report of the InspeotorGeneral of Police for the year, Mr Foeberry regrets that he found no diminution in the idle and dissolute habits of the youth of the colony. The general diffusion of education has not had the moral effect hoped for." Vide Pbkbs, 19ih,inet. Yours, &c., E, B.CfnrM.