RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28089, 3 October 1956, Page 3

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

ROMAN CATHOLICS’ ATTITUDE EVIDENCE ON EARLY NEGOTIATIONS (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 2. Reference to the Roman Catholic attitude toward the Bible-in-schools movement was made by the Rev. E. O. Blamires, organising secretary of the Bible-in-schools League from 1927 to 1945, in submissions today on the Holy Name Society’s petition for State aid to private schools. He said he was secretary to a conference of representatives of the main Protestant churches which negotiated with the Roman Catholic hierarchy seeking to end its “long-continued opposition to every scheme brought forward by Protestants” with the object cf placing the national system of education on a religious basis. “The negotiations resulted in a definite agreement, and the late Archbishop O’Shea, through whom the hierarchy acted, notified that our proposals were approved and all opposition to them would be withdrawn,” said Mr Blamires. “When, however, the bill which embodied these agreed proposals was being considered in the Select Committee on Education in Parliament, the hierarchy, with the exception of Archbishop O’Shea, notified its opposition, thus breaking the agreement, and without even expressing its intention officially to the other party in the agreement. Archbishop O’Shea was true to his word, however.” Mr Blamires said that many persons deduced from those negotiations that the concern of the Roman Catholics as a whole was not to provide a religious basis for the national system, which they frequently had called “Godless,” but to use every opportunity to secure State aid for their own schools. Purpose of Submissions “I am not here to oppose the granting of State aid to church and private schools so much as to urge that if any extension beyond what is at present granted is contemplated, then in fairness to all, the educational work of the Protestant churches should be proportionately considered,” he said. He added that Protestant churches had tried to make up for absence of religious instruction in schools by providing their own Sunday schools and their own religious teaching for their children with volunteer teachers. There were about as many Sunday schools as day schools. He trusted the committee would recognise that the cost of building, maintaining, and providing literature for the Sunday schools would exceed, proportionately, the cost incurred by Roman Catholic day schools, and practically all the educational work was done by volunteers in an honorary capacity. J . To aid the secular part of education m a religious school was to aid the religious part, said Mr Blamires. He did not object to that, provided there was equal treatment for Protestants To Mr 'L Dave y. who asked whether he thought the number of private schools would increase if State aid were granted, Mr Blamires said. Yes, I think they would.” . Mr Davey; Do you think that if the" increased it would have any effect on Sunday school work? Mr Blamires: Yes, a little, but not to any great extent.