PROPOSAL IN BILL

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29983, 19 November 1962, Page 13

PROPOSAL IN BILL

“Difficulties Created”

The application of clause 3b in the bill now before Parliament on religious instruction in schools could- create difficulties rather than remove them, the Rev. J. 13. Grocott, convener of the public questions committee of the North Canterbury Methodist Synod, said yesterday, agreeing with the remarks of Mr W. Rosenberg to a meeting of the School Committees’ Association this week. Mr Grocott described the proposal in clause 3b that parents must give written consent to the attendance of their children in religious instruction classes as “a back-to-front method.” In addition to the points made by Mr Rosenberg, Mr Grocott found the suggested system unacceptable as it added a colossal amount of form-filling for little purpose. Many fewer than one per cent. of parents “contracted out” now. If the percentage remained the same, under the new proposal of “contracting in" there would be a pile of 35,000 forms saying “yes” to facilitate about 4000 saying “no."

“Surely it would be much more sensible to have 4000 forms saying ‘no’ and not record the larger number who say ‘yes,’ ” he said. To add to the confusion, it was proposed that the contracting in be made at five years and carried on in reports for all the school years, he said. About 50.000 primers were enrolled each year. “The point about the proposal to give religious instruction in any given period of the day is that it would be done with the approval of the school committee and in practice with the goodwill and co-operation of headmasters." he continued. The New Zealand Council for Christian Education enjoyed a good and co-operative relationship with headmasters and would always encourage voluntary teachers to fit in with the best interests of the local school. The particular usefulness of the proposal was in the country districts where voluntary teachers travelled long distances to teach the Scripture, and by this proposal they would avoid unnecessary travelling. Mr Grocott added that the churches could train “specialists” who would undergo special training and be able to teach several classes and be in several schools each week.

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