The Press. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1894. LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8964, 30 November 1894, Page 4

The Press. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1894. LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE.

Some literary genius will yet make a fortune out of New Zealand School Committees. Someone with a humourous turn, and an eye for the weaknesses of human nature, will in a happy hour light upon the wealth ot varied eccentricity which the meetings of these bodies reveal. Wq have bad in this colony the Committeeman who in his dual capacity as Chairman and village blacksmith argues of a holiday with the teacher by turning him out by the shoulders and departing with the school key in his pocket. We have had the Committee who claim to decide for their unfortunate " school-marm "-the especial friend with whom she. may not walk about the township after school hours. We have just discovered in the North Island ."the L Committeeman who illustrates the sanctity of parental anthorityby ordering bis Bon to strike the schoolmaster in his presence, and ends, the performance by " chevying" the schoolmaster round the school grounds. But the _climax of all such follies has been lately attained by two South Island Committees, on grounds which make their special absurdities a matter of deep and wide public concern. Some time ago the Moa Creek (Otago) Committee applied to the Education Board for a teacher for their district. The Board discussed the matter in a way which is said to have been informal, but after a fashion, which the Board's solicitors declare to have been - legal they decided to appoint Mica White, a teacher who had not served long enough to be graded for efficiency. She had, however, done free teaching at the Lawrence High School, for four years, on and off, while preparing for her examinations, and the Rector of the school sent testimonials which speak high'y in her favour as to ability and teaching capacity. The Board's Secretary then asked the School Committee if they would accept Miss White, and. the Com mittee refused, on the ground that Miss White la a Roman CatLolio. The Board considered the letter—thus fulfilling the condition that the Committee must be consulted—-and decided that Miss White's appointment should be conGrmed. The Committee replied that no one in the township would

that the children would be withdrawn from the school. The Board at two subsequent meetings have supported theif original decision, and so the matter for the present stands.

We wish first to call attention to Miss White's position as a teacher. It seems that her name has been for more than a year sj-tematioally passed over on the appointments Hat. The attention of the Board was called to this fact by ihe late Hon. Vincent Ptkb aud others; and the Chairman ex plained that Miss White could not hold a pos>tion as teacher because she was not classed for teaching effi-I'eucy. Why was she not so classed 1 Because she had uoi. reoeived an appointment in which she could give proof of her ability. But why, other curious people vi ished to kuow, do other girls from the same school, holdiug the same certificate, admittedly inferior in ability to Miss White, gam appointments, while she is passed. by . WUy should ber fare rewire in this charmed circle, from which all possibility of escape is denied to her . To this tbe Chairman was obliged to admit tbat " there was a general feeling that her disqualification was a religious one." However, the Board's sense of j .stice was roused by seeing: the case put before them thus, and lhe Acting Chairman promised to give Miss White the first place to which her certificate and her testimonials could give her a. claim. At last, theu, Miss White was to havo a chance of placiug herself ou the same footiug as her fellow students and teachers; when she found that the same bar was once more interposed by other hands. It is true that some members of the Board quibbled and cavilled about MiS9 White's classification, though no one denied the value ,of her qualifications otherwise ; but the Moa Creek Committee did not attempt to take up this position. They simply said—"She is a Roman Cacholic aud wo will have none of her." They further accused the Acting Chairman of statiug that Moa Creek was a Roman Catholic district and that this was a good reason for the appointment. Mr. Ramsay denied that Le was guilty of outraging their sensibilities iv such a shockiug way ; but the whole question has taken this form—shall the Board continue to refuse appointments to certificated teachers because these teachers are Roman Catholics . And shall School Committees, having asked the Board go appoint a teacher for them, be allowed to disclaim this choice because the teacher does uot belong to their own particular church 1

The attitude of the Education Board deserves some notice. At the meeting held on tho 17th instant, the Acting Chairman, Mr. Ramsay, stated the case in what we cousider a perfectly just aud impartial manner. "We are elected to our positions," he said, "to administer an Education Act which admits no questions of this sort to be raised. Our schools are neither Proie.tant nor Catholic, bub secular and compulsory. To mcv. one inch from the Bafe grouud I tread on means the introduction of sectarianism, aud I say emphatically that if we do not act as men on ..this occasion, and stand up for fair- playv we are -utterly unfitted to be entrusted with ihe administration of education affairs in Otago." This we think was the only honest and obvious course for the Bjard to follow. But, Btrange to ( say, there . was much hesitation aud doubt, about the toue of most of the member-. One member warned the Board of the awful consequences of rousing religious bigotry; another advised that for the sake of Miss White herself she should be withdrawn. Filially, after much indirect encouragement bad been given to the Moa Creek Committee by well-meaning but timorous speakers, it was only by a casting? vote that the Board asserted

its dignity aud decided to support its own appointment.

Now, all this, we roust confess', is to us simply astonishing. Mr. Ramsay stated the grounds for action in a perfectly accurate way. The Act provides for education on a purely secular basis. The Moa Creek Committee, when they declared, "She i. a Roman; Catholic," stated no more valid objection to Miss White as a teacher, under the New Zealand system, than if they had said "she has blue eyes" or "ahe is nob six feet high." The whole system has been framed so as to exclude as far as possible any sectarian considerations in the choice of teachers. And not only the integrity of all Education Boards but their dignity, is in great peril if they are to entertain arguments of this type. We cannot conceive any course that would more certainly stultify tho Otago Board and render it incapable of controlling its work than the retreat and surreuder advocated in pure nervous weakness by some of its members. However, the obstinate opposition of tbe Moa Creek Committee has had the effect of strengthening the Board, and at their meeting yesterday week, the decision to support Mi-s Whits was uuanimous. Mr McGregor pointed out ihat " the question was whether the Board would allow the religious question, the exclusion of which was the very foundation of the system, to dominate their actiou in makiug appointments." One member went bo far as to move that the Moa Creek school be at once closed if the dfstiiet refused to receive Miss White. Another member still urged that Miss White should solve tbe difficulty by accepting three months' notice, with salary. Finally, it was uuanimously resolved that Miss White be instructed to remain at Moa Creek, and teach all the children whose parents would send them.. In the meantime Miss White, who is said to have behaved throughput with con spicuous tact and good sense, has gone to Moa Creek, . unde terred by the sinister warnings of tbe Committee, has been kindly received by one householder, who declines to join in the amusement of boycotting a defenceless girl, and as she is locked Out of the school by the Committee, she is doing what teaching Bhe can elsewhere. The Chairman of the Board very indiscreetly prophesied that the Committee would win the fight, but we take leave to repeat that it will say little for the honour or dignity of the Otago Board of Education if they do finally give way to tbe Committee, and less for tbeir manhood and sense of justice if they become parties in thia contemptible plot to .i.i.. tl>. nrnf.n.tnni 1 nrnanonta ...

valuable public servants, because I hey happen to belong to tho Church which is here in a minority.

Ir. has been remarked by a keen observer that there is no such thing as public opinion in New Zealand. Truly, it would seem so, iv the face of such events as we have been describing. How else is it possible for men in responsible public positions to exhibit with impunity such bigoted intolerence ? Let us remember what we feel when we hear that in Turkey, for instance, Christians may not teach iv schools; that three centuries ago in Engl n 1 Di.seuters could not teach in schools, aud theu realise the position that the Moa Creek Committee has taken up. And there are proofs that their example is finding imitators. A month ago the Secretary of Waimurau (Southland) Committee wrote to a newly appointed teacher informing her that, as she is a Kom_i_ Catholic, she would not be allowed to teach in his district. The

information waa given in much the same tone of urbane insolence that a vigilauce committee in the far west might use as a preliminary to tarring and feathering aca tie thief. The young lady replied with highly commendable spirit, and though we cannot enter into thia case at present, it is sat ia factory to - learn that she has now a better school than Waiinumu. But what we are concerned with is the spirit that such facts reveal among certain small sections of tbe New Zealand public. Of all forms of Buperstitioti the most detestable is religious bigotry. It is certainly ridiculous; and if the Moa Creek Committee had auy sense of humour they would have refrained from taking up an attitude that has been for centuries out of date with moat barbarities of its kind. But though their convictions are ludicrous, they are none the less outrageously and flagrantly tyrranical and dangerous When the children of Roman Catholics coma to our schools to .hare tbe benefits of our "secular" education, we teach them to look with horror on the fanaticism that burned men at Smithfield, to ahudder at the inquisition, and to prefix an unpleasant epithet to the name of the J_nglish Papist Queen. Yet here are the members of this absurd little Committee, ready, we do not doubt, to talk with unctiou about "bloody Mary," reviving this same spirit of persecution in bur midst today. It is hardly credible that "secular" education should come to this-iu a land that boa.ta of its advanced ideals of Liberalism and liberty. And it is well for our education system as ie is for our national honour that the Otago Board ia striving to administer its trust faithfully, aud to uphold liberty of conscience against this belated niedue.al bigotry.