RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28445, 27 November 1957, Page 9

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

‘Churches United In Opinion’ (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Nov. 26. The general secretary of the New Zealand Council for Christian Education (the Rev. Peter Gamlen) has issued the following statement:— “At the meeting at Karori on Christianity and politics, it was stated that all the candidates agreed that religious instruction in schools was not practicable ‘unless some degree of unity of opinion was reached by the churches. There was very little unity at present.’ ‘‘This is a fair report of what the candidates said, but it is a gross mis-statement of fact on their part. ‘‘All the churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, are unanimous that the children in our State schools ought to have the opportunity of receiving religious instruction at school. “One of the objectives laid down in the constitution of the New Zealand Council for Christian Education is ‘to ensure that every child in New Zealand, whose parents do not object, receives m school a general knowledge of the Bible, and of the developments and influence of the Christian faith.’ This object has been accepted by the churches belonging to the council, which comprise 72 per cent, of the population.

“In a recent statement, Mr W. S. Otto,, speaking on behalf of the Holy Name Society, affirmed the Catholic view that every child in New Zealand is entitled to a religious formation in the faith of his parents, should his parents so desire. “It is time that our politicians

cease repeating worn-out excusi for their failure to legislate i accordance with the wishes i the great majority of the popul; tion.

‘‘lt is relevant in this connexion to draw the public’s attention again to the false inferences which leading politicians have drawn from the evidence submitted to the Education Committee last year. ‘‘The submissions were against State aid to private schools and in favour of a national system of education. They were equally insistent—and this point has been overlooked—on the importance of religious instruction in schools. ‘‘lt cannot be too strongly emphasised that the ditpculties in the way of making some provision for religious instruction are not connected in any way with divisions of opinion among the churches,” the statement concludes.