EDUCATION PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 104, 25 January 1908, Page 5

EDUCATION PROBLEM

"SIMPLE BIBLE-TEACHING."• | STATEMENT BY BRITISH PREMIER. ! BI IEI.EOItAI'II—I'RESS ASSOCIATION—COPTntOUT, London! January 23, ' Tho Prime Minister (Sir: 11.. Campboll.Baniierman) assured a 'deii.utatiqn- from the Churchmen's .Union, headed bv tho Right Rev. Dr. 'Percival, Bishop of Hereford, that ho entirely favoured the rofcention of simple Bible-teaching in. clomontaTy-'.sphooJs. WHAT IS "SIMPLE BIBLE TEACHING?" ; The Chui oilmen's Union is a'vcomparativelv small Society, composed 'miiinly of. Broqil Uiuvclnnon, though its roll'of'..membership includes a number of very influential names, The Bishop is one of Iho vory fow bishops who ■ have given a funeral support to the education policy of. the Cawpbel!-}3annorman Government. He is a pronounced .Liberal in politics. Several oilier English bishops, ..in-. ?-L 'f 10 Archbishop: of. Canterbury, nre nlpo Liberals, though they are'opposed tp the Clov T ornmept on tlio education and ' 'difostfiblislir ment questions.... - The Church party contend that what is called "simple Bible 'teaching*', is really only another name for Free Church religion. The attitude of the majority of the Anglican bishops was recently stated by the liishoj) of Birmingham (Dr. Gore), niio of the, most inflncijtial minds in the Anglican, Communion. Dr.: Gore, paid;— ; "In regard to the:'place .of religious'teaching, in national education, we hnvo to oxpect another period of acute conflict. I trust that we shall insist on keeping to the." front; tlio claim that, if religious teaching-is t«-bo, given;' «s we earnest!)- desire, within obligatory school hours, it shall be'given impsu'tiiilly according to the wishes, of the parents, with-liberty to the teachers to givo.it or iipt to give. it. And, negatively, I trust tlifjt we shall make .it understood that we cannot,: under any threats, accept the principle tliat the Slate shall' give a preferential' position; as a . Siate-pnfd'reli-gious teaching, 16 a religious teaching given without standard, at the arbitrary/discretion of the jiuljvidiia!. teacher; ,1... believe, those principles are so just that wo skill got a hear? !!U;, for tliom if wo 1 persist-in, .giving them prominence. And for my. own' part, I am sure that.l am consulting the real.interests of my country and of religion,-by dcclarhig that I will not consent to. the. estabjishment and endowment of undenomiuationaiism/in State schools, even, at the'.risk of finding that: njl' religious teaching has to be' given -out. of school hours. Hut T believe that the mass of the parents would, prefer that it should be ' given. within school hours; and .1. claim that the piirimts should in all cases be invited'to state what kind of relirious teaching they wish' given to their: children;'and" that "the State should with perfect impartiality, as far. as possible, provide for its Being given." , The Nonconformists declare that "simple Bible toaching" is fair alike to all parties, and that the .majority; of the people prefer such instruction to the exclusion' of all religious, teaching. Somo of them; however.'_ contend that if the opposition of'the Anglicans and'" lioman datholics is maintained- the secular solution will become inevitable, and many Anglicans have openly; declared tljftt thoy would sooner have complete secularism than the method, of Bible instruction favoured by the Government. ~