EDUCATION SYSTEM.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15793, 8 January 1917, Page 3

EDUCATION SYSTEM.

DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS,

REFERENCE AT TEACHERS

CONFERENCE

"That tho Minister of Education be congratulated on his firm stand in refusing the request for subsidised denominational schools."' was the text of a remit which came up for consideration at the annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute at Wellington on Saturday.

The motion for the adoption of the remit, was proposed by Mr 11. F. Andrew (Auckland), who, in doing so, said that it was a very dcbateable point as to which nation or -which State had the best system of education, but one thing was sure—that if they wanted to find education at its lowest ebb they must go to the nation or the country where the church had interfered with education. The speaker wont on to refer to the existing condition of affairs in Australia and Germany. In the latter country, he said, there was a seemingly efficient system of education in coordination with denominational or semidenominational schools, but it had at least three great- weaknesses as a result of clerical interference. For many hours a week the boys in the German schools were taught religion, and yet those schools had turned out a set of men not only guilty of crime at home, but also guilty of some of the foulest crimc;; imaginable sinec the beginning of the present war. It would be idle to eay that this was the result of religious teaching in the schools; but it certainly seemed to prove that the school was not the proper place for the teaching of religion. Religion was not a thing which could be taught like the three "It's" ; it needed to be set apart from the drudgery of school life. The proper place, to teach tin child religion was on the hearth in its own home, beside its mother's Imee. (Applause.) In conclusion. Mr Andrew said he desired io heartily congratulate the Minister upon his attitude, and trusted that ho would be long spared to safeguard the present system of secular education. Mr H. A. Parkinson (Wellington) seconded tho motion, remarking that he did so with a good deal of pleasure, and, at the samo time, with a full sense of responsibility. They must all believe. he said, that the present system of education was seriously tlireatened in that most important asp'ect— its freedom from strife and sectarian bitterness. They had been toid of atiother organisation, however, which had patriotically suspended its operations during the currency of the war,but tho organisation was a. strong one, and no doubt, at tho conclusion of the war a strong attack would be made. He had already suggested the formation of an Educational League, not only for the purpose of advancing the cause of education, but of defending the system already in existence. He trusted that the Institute would speak with no uncertain voice to the country. There was no doubt that the Minister would need all the heln the Institute could give him in repelling the assault which was surely going to be made on the system of education. Tho resolution was carried unanimously.