BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14991, 11 June 1914, Page 3

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

DISCUSSED BY PRESBYTERY.

The Chri-tchrirch Presbytery yesterday discussed the question of the introduction of. the Bible into the State schools. The matter came up at the afternoon sitting, when thero was only a comparatively gmail attendance!' Tho Rev. J. J. Bate- was moderator pro tempore.

The Rev. S. E. Hill, in moving a motion pledging tho support of the Presbytery to the platform of the Bible-rn-Schools League, and requesting tho Government to tako a referendum on tho question, said that for years he had beon a confirmed supporter of the scheme, and he had been more than ever confirmed in his attitude by a recent visit to Sydney, there he met .Mr Peter Board, M.A., .Head Di roc Lor of Education in i\_s.W., and had had an opportunity of putting a number of questions to him regarding the working of the scheme in N.S.W. He .asked Mr Board if Catholic teachers freely gavo the Scripture lessons in tho schools from the prescribed textbook, or whether they had atifeed objection and asked for exemption. Mr Board replied that Catholic teachers mast freely taught the lessons, .and during his (Mr Board's) long experience as Director ho had never '-known.of a teacher asking for exemption. Two lessons were given weekly by the teachers occupying ono hour and a half, and tho instruction given by the visiting minister took three-quarters of an hour, and tho children wero grouped according to tho arrangements made by the local ministers. Ho (Mr Hill) had also asked Mr Board whether the Scripture instruction by St-aio'school vteachor_ or by ministers "intorferetl with tho general work of tho school. Mr Boiird. replied in the negative. The ministers and the teachers worked in co-operation, and there was no handicapping in .any way. As to the Catholic Church ba-sing a demand for Government grants to Catholic schools on account of tho religious instruction given in Stato schools, M.r Board told him that tho question was never heard of. He hao asked: On the whole, then, in your judgment, does this schemo work without- friction and is there no evidence of any sectarian bitterness? Mr Board replied, with some degree- of surpri.se, that the schemo worked admirably. There was no friction of any kind iii respect to sectarian bitterness or division. Mr Hill gavo the result of his visit to three largo schools iv Sydney—two suburban, schools and one central school. At one of the suburb-an j I schools the headmaster was a. Catholic, j | and Mr Hill was anxious to know from hint how he looked upon the system. | Ho found the headmaster —Mr Herlihy j —quite enthusiastic. Mr Herlihy had] said that there was no friction whatever in'the school. Mr Hill had seen j three or four classes at work. One ckiss \ was taught by a brilliant young i preacher, a very pronounced and ardent ' Catholic. Tlie lesson was on Peter in ! prison. The Catholic toucher explain- j ed the phrases and words and other matters of that- nature. Ho (Mr Jiiili ! had been delighted with that lesson I given to Protestant and Catholic, children alike by. a Catholic. There was nothing in tin. lesson that ho would not be prepared to have- his own children taught. It should be known throughout the Dominion that in New South Wales Catholic .--"richer- give Bible lessons, and no objection was taken by Protestants. At the Fort Sirent High School—the central .school, i where Sir George Reid and Dr. Mawson j wore educated—he (Mr Hill, liad been j present at the Scripture lesson, i Tho lesson was on th"> Sermon on j the Mount, and he thought, it was most i -.li-clv imparted. Mr Fr-v-cr, the bead-

master of the boys'* primary school, told him _i—t several New Zealand" teachers had been in Sydney on holiday, a few months previously, and had questioned him very closely, and told him of their opposition to tho scheme. He (Mr Fraser) had told them that they wero absolute./ wrong in their attitude. In a written' statement that Mr Fraser gave ' him he wrote: — '.'To take religious instruction from our school lifo in New South Wales would be a dire calamity."* Continuing, .Mr Hill said that he felt that the situation jus it existed on the other side was an incentive to those in Now Zealand. He was sure that if tho teachers m New Zealand who were at present so strongly opposed to the Bib;o hi schools had gone through the experience ho had gone through, they would have come back converted to the syastem and ready to support it right nj> to the hilt.

•FI-io Rev. "W. T. Todd seconded the motion, which was unanimously agreed Co