RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27502, 9 November 1954, Page 12

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Roman Catholic Claim STATEMENT BY N.Z. BISHOPS “An increasing interest has recently been shown in the question of religion in schools and the views of many leaders in the community have been placed before the public,’* says a statement issued by the Roman Catholic bishops of New Zealand in Christ? church last evening. “We wish to recall to the people of New Zealand the Catholic position and claim in this matter. “(1) Parents have a God-given right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. This is a right native to all parents, whoever or whatever they may be. It is a right recognised and proclaimed by the Declaration of Human Rights drawn up by the General Assembly of United Nations. “(2) This is a right which, happily, all parents in New Zealand are free to exercise. Some parents in exercise of this right send their children to State schools; othfers to what are called private schools. “(3) Catholic parents hold that it is their duty in conscience to give their children an education that is not divorced from their religion, but which is fully integrated into it. For this reason they have set up their own schools, in which today there are more than 40.000 of the nation’s children. In these, children receive a training i n all subjects which are taught at State schools, and of a standard accepted by the State. Share of Revenue * (4) From all citizens. Catholic ana non-Catholic alike, the State raises money through taxation for the education of all the children of this country. However, at the present time, more than 10 per cent, of New Zealand s total school population receives no share of these moneys. Our claim >• that parents, be they Catholic or nonCatholic, who choose the school for the education of their children should be financially assisted m no less measure than parents wn® choose a State school for their children. “(5) At no time have Catholic parents claimed assistance from tn® State for the teaching of religion m their schools. The claim is simply for the teaching that would otherwise have to be given in State schools 31 the State’s expense. _ . “The Home countries, England, Scotland. Ireland (North and South), havj - over many years sought to deal fairly with all parents in the education, o? their children in the schools of theff choice. If similar action were taKen by our Government, we feel confident that it would be welcomed by tne people of New Zealand. “We ask, therefore, that the new Parliament, whatever be its composition, should set up at an early date ..c committee of members to deal wim this important matter.”