RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27581, 11 February 1955, Page 7

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

MINISTER FAVOURS NELSON SYSTEM

PRAYERS AND SCRIPTURE READING AT ASSEMBLY

A form of religious instruction which is practised in primary schools i» the Nelson province may become general throughout New Zealand. The Minister of Education (Mr R. M. Algie, M.P.) said in Christchurch yesterday that he intended to put forward his idea of an assembly, at which the headmaster would recite the Lord’s Prayer and give a reading from the scriptures, when he addressed the annual conference of the School Committees’ Federation in Wellington. Mr Algie said that secondary schools in the Dominion had a religious assembly and he thought that there was a widespread feeling that primary schools should follow suit.

“I have always thought that some form of religious precept should be given to our younger people in schools. As Minister of Education, I have, considered it my duty to give lead in this matter,” he said. “I have discussed the question with my Cabinet colleagues. The prayer and Scripture reading at the assembly in postprimary schools works very smoothly. “The method followed in secondary schools does not interfere in any way with the curriculum, and it would not interfere with the curriculum in primary schools if they did the same thing. The assembly should be conducted by the headmaster if he is willing to do so, as is done in secondary schools. “The original Education Act of 1878 declared that the education system should be free, secular, and compulsory,” Mr Algie said. “This was an expression of the liberal views of the period, and a reaction against the existing privilege in education. “It was felt in some quarters that education was too costly, and it was the privilege of those who could afford to pay. There was also a feeling against the authority of church schools of the time and the denominational rivalries that had been manifested. Use of Word “Secular” “There was also the fact that some parents had been keeping children from school in order to use their services for economic reasons. “The use of the word, ‘secular’ in the original act was an expression of feeling of the day,” said Mr Algie. “At present, every State post-primary school opens the day with some form of assembly in which the Lord’s Prayer is recited by the headmaster and a portion of the Scriptures read. “Not one of the post-primary schools is directly affected by the original act, whereas the primary schools are. “A form of religious instruction is practised in primary schools in the Nelson province, but this is not general throughout New Zealand. Religious instruction is given in Nelson schools. It is-'supposed to be given before pr after the school hours, but in practice it is worked in in optional subjects after the hard core of subjects in the curriculum have been dealt with?

“The assembly would be optional for headmasters of primary schools to arrange,” Mr Algie concluded..