THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 8350, 8 December 1892, Page 6

THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN.

SO THE EDUOB OF THS PKESS. • Sna, —Although to a certain extent sym* pathiaing in' the above matter with your correspondents, Messrs WUlis and Peckover, still I would respectfully ask them whether they have ever examined the existing Education Act with regard to the permission and facilities which it affords fer giving religious instruction ? - In the first place it stipulates that only two hours in the morning and the same period in the afternoon shall be the minimum of secular teaching, consequentlythis i-ainimum admits of a consid-rabie "nerval of time, from which half an hour might be claimed for religious instruction. I am aware of several schools in this province where such an arrangement exists, and where the Anglican, Presbyterian and Wesleyan ministers regularly .teach a general class with the consent of ail ooncarned, and such a practice is likely ta be much more benefiri-l than the mere reading «f the Scriptures in a perfunctory manner, possibly under the supervisioa of a .school

teacher who may or maynottakelany real or \ effective interest In this proceeding. It •tyill thus be seen that what can be done in a few schools can or may be carried;out in others, only of course certain preliminaries must be observed. In the first place, those who take an interest in this matter should secure the co-operation of the different ministers. This being accomplished* a petition should be circulated and recomi mended by them to their several adherents, 'and if such is extensively signed by the parents and householders, it is scarcely Ukeiy that the Committee would refuse to give the ministers or other accredited teachers access to their children for haif-an-hour after or before noon. A later hour has been found in practice unsuitable. *" In the event of the Committee declining to lend their sanction, I presume it would be competent for s tbe parents, and others favourably inclined, if in a majority, to elect a more compliant Committee when'the yearly election takes place -, and it is obviously the duty of the various ministers to charge them with their responsibility in this important matter, and to urge tbem to take action. •* • It may be argued that ministers of the Gospel have little time for teaching many sohools, but the different Protestant denominations might unite in employing qualified Bible readers who, by arrangement, might be enabled to teach daily in several schools, and thus serve large districts. It is also worthy of remark, that in America, women do a far larger proportion of teaching in the primary schools than men, presumably, not only because they are willing to take lower salaries, but because they are also more apt to teach, hence their services might largely be brought into requisition for the purpose in view, in place ot the ministers of religion. —I am, «_c, I. R. C. Cunninghame-Graham. Ashburton, December 6th, 1892.