CANON GARLAND AND HIS CRITICS.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14759, 1 September 1913, Page 9

CANON GARLAND AND HIS CRITICS.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TRESS." gjr —you will, I am sure, allow sufficient space for tho enclosed estracts from tho "Life- of Professor Huxley" and from, his writings: and also from the ••Report of tiie Commissioners on Education, New South Wales," tho original of which, published by the Government Printer, Sydney, 1903, is now beforo mc. I put into tne body of this lett.r ono quotation only : — Kn'bb's Report, pago 27. "Religious Instruction, clause ,:—"Since all educationalists make character building the supreme aim of education and religious people beli.ve tli.it the formation of character cannot bo perfected except through specific rci : g:ous instruction, it is desirable that the State system afford every opportunity for efficient- religious teaching by the clergy.*' Clause 8 :—"Ethical in.iruction: — "It may bo said that l'rotestant and Catholic countries are agreed as to the importance of both religion and ethics." I trust you will forgive the trespass on your space which is demanded by what seems to me'the failure of certain of our opponents to give mc anything at aU approaching fair play. 1 do not, by this letter, appeal to thoir judgment, but I <-lo trust the common sense and justico of the public to decide as to whether I was just Tied in my contention that educationalists in the world, ns well as in New Zealand, differed from certain teachers who contend that rclis-ieus instruction should have no place in the Stato Schools. It stands to reason that in a rpeech against time no one could attempt to quote literally every single word : but I am quite content to accept the general verdict of tho public as to whether my summary in an inevitably cgnd«-nsed form, and from nn'irory of 017 foolscap pages of a printed renort, and often in small.type, is .justified so far as my references to Mr Ktt'bb -s oppinion are. concerned. — Yours, etc., DAVID J. GARLAND, Orgainsmg Secretary. Wellington, August 29th. We regret that we havo not spaco to-day to nrint the extracts from Uuxlev's writings which Canon Garland sends us. We shrMl print, the™ presently. In the meantime the following are tho extracts from the Report, of Commission"" 1 -- on Primary Education (Sydney). 1003:— MR KNIBB'S REPORT. Pago 27, clause 7, /'Religious Instruction" :—"Since all educationalists make character building tho supreme aim of education, and religious people t-1 eve that tho formation of cnaracter ("irnot be perfected except tnrough spec: fie leligious instruction, it is desirable that tho State system afford every o;.puitunity for efficient religious teaching by tho clergy." -. Clause 8, "Ethical Instruction :— "It may be .said that Protestant r.nd Catholic countries aro agreed as to tho importance of both reli.cion and ethics." Page 143, paragraph I:—"The .significance of morals in an educational system" : —"No ono who has given tbe slightest degreo of attention to the ethical aspect of education has failed to be, profoundly impressed with its significance. Whether for the individual or for the State, the great question must over bo, not merely 'what are the children to know,' or 'what technical skill are they to develop,' but 'in what sprit aro the acquired knowledge and skill to be used in after life?' Whether authorities admit that the teaching of religion is desirable or not, .there is an absolute consensus of opinion that "all education. mn c t be grounded in tho ethical basis of our being. Integrity of character, and a courteous bearing, are things of light moment ■ only to tho thoughtless; they are in reality among the great factors of national development. Rectitude, fortitude, courage, patience, veracity,' kindliness, and politeness, are graces that no educationalist dare . neglect to systematically consider, and. it is as much a part of pedagogic duty to attend to these as to the purely .intellectual elements .of education. There can be no doubt that the exigencies of everyday life in tho echool. and the routine of the daily school tasks, lend themselves to an unobtrusive moral education that is none tho less real because it is not didactic. There can be little doubt also that much of the most powerful moral stimulus is that which asserts itself unperceived. Doubtless, too, the high ideals that tincture the mind, that give their colour to each and every effort of a teacher, are the real, or are among the most real, factors involved in the growth of character in the pupils. The tone of tho master inevitably affects that of the pupil. "However much may be done by maintaining a due regard to the tone and traditions of a.school, it is recognised by all educationists that specifio moral instruction is absolutely requisite; and it is also very widely believed that unless this is founded on a religious basis it will be inadequate. !t wna incumbent on tho Commissioners, therefore, to at least observe the Mtjtude of the various scholastio authorities in the countries through wlich

they travelled to this momentous question. This attitude, as regards il*«* religious side of the question, Taturaliy presents different aspects, but is a I eve stated, the conviction that an educational system must take serious rccourt of the moral element is universal. It alone possesses the necessary i;v lying and controlling influence.'' Page 100. paragraph 10:—"*'*thics and Rcl-gion in Schools in other parts of the World*': —After quoting covin-n countries, Mr Knibbs himself proceeds: —"These are all testimonies as to what ethical and religious ideals are capable of doing to raise the character or a peoplo on its proper plane." Page 157. clause 13:—"Sche-nc of Ethical and Religious Education lor New South Wales" : —"The provisions relating to religious education «f the Public Instruction Act are not o-:dled of by the clergy of tlio various denominations as it might hive been hoped. It would be well, therefore, if a circular were issued, calling attention to the provisions of the .\>t, aud inviting co-operation of the ••lorsy in providing for the moral-religious education of tho people of this State. "Tho jriving of such education should not, however, be left entirely to them, for they have many other calls on their time; and it must also he remembered that, in the country, visitation of the schools would often bo impossible. '

MR COLLINS REPLIES TO CA.VON GARLAND. \ _

Mr W. W. Collins, under the auspices of the Now Zealand Rationalist Association, replied last night to an addross delivered last week by Canon Garland, in which tho organising secretary of ' tho Bible-in-Schools, quoted Huxley extensively, and remarked inter alia that the "eminent secularist himself urged tho reading of tho Bible, as the best book for the training of the children in Biblical knowledge by State school teachers, and ho voted and used his influence in support of that which those who call themselves after him in this .Dominion aro doing their best to oppose." Mr Collins claimed that Canon Garland's quotation of Huxley showed that ; either the reverend gentleman was very j ill-informed as to f-uxley's views on religious training, or dishonest a.s to his ! use of Huxley's writing. He explained ' that Canon Garland's quotation of; Huxley consisted of dragging a number '. of sentences from their contexts, and ; piecing them together tor the purpose of creating tho impression that they were a connected, sequential statement made by that scientist. He stated, further, that in the sentence alleged to have come from Huxley's pen were extracts from writings covering a period of over twenty yours. It was true, ho continued, thnt Huxley had supported an arrangement respecting religious instruction agreed to by tho London School Board of lb/l.' which arrangement permitted of tlio introduction of tho Bible into tho State schools. There had been a dead-lock -, ono party demanded dogmatic teaching, the other party wanted secular education. A compromise was effected. In a letter written on October 16th, 1894. Huxley himself explained the reason for his action. Ho wrote: —"Tho rersons who agreed to the compromise did exactly what all sincere men who agree to compromise do. For the sake of the enormous advantages of giving the rudiments of a decent education to several generations of the people, they accepted what was practically an armistice in respect of certain matters about which the contending parties were absolutely irreconcilable." Quoting from Leonard Huxley's "Life and Letters of Thomas Huxley." Mr Collins proceeded:—'"Ho (Huxley) supported what appeared to be tho only workable plan under tho circumstances, though it was not his ideal; for he would not have used tho Bible as tho agency of introducing the religious and ethical idea into education, if he had been dealing with a fresh and untouched population. His appreciation of the literary and historical value of the Bible, and the effect it was likclv to produce upon the school children, circumstanced as they were, is sometimes misunderstood to be an endorsement of tho vulgar idea of it. Rut it always remained his belief 'that the principle of strict secularity in State education is sound, and must eventually prevail.' " Mf Collins concluded that in New Zealand to-day there were none of tlio snecial circumstances that existed in England at the period referred to, and if Huxley had been alive to-day, he would have been even more emphatic in his belief in strictJv secular instruction in tho State schools. If Canon Garland had purposely quoted Huxley as be did. he (the speaker) personally would not obiect if tbo other supporters of the Bible-in-Scbools adopted similar tactics. He, himself, would quote Huxley and say:—"l am not sure that it might bo well for them to succeed, so that tho sweep, into space which would befall them in the course of tbo next twentythree years might bo complete and flna!.»»