RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 255, 21 July 1908, Page 4

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

« : THE NEW SOUTH WAi.ES SYSTEM. Tho'following letter from tlio Under-Secre-tary of Education in New South Wales, who is tlio permanent head of tho Department, to the Bishop of Gippslaml, gives a clear and, authoritative statement of tho method of religious' education adopted in Now South Wales. "Right Reverend Sir,—ln complianco witli your personal request, I have the honour to furnish tho following information in connection with the religious instruction given in tho public schools of this State:— "As you aro awaro, tlio teaching in our schools is strictly non-sectarian, but general religious teaching as distinguished from dogmatic theology, forms part of tho course of secular instruction, as provided in section 7 of tho Public Instruction Act. A copy of the .Act is forwarded under separate cover. Attention- is invited to clauses 7, 17, and 18. _ ' ■ • • "This religious teaching is placed on exactly tho samo footing as geography, grammar, or any other subject, and at tho annual inspection of schools, 'Scripture receives tho . sanity cqnsidora£ion-as any other subject. In the junior classes,' when children aro unablo to read; all lessons are given orally in tho form of stories drawn from the authorised Scripture lessons on tho Old and New Testament. In classes above the second, tho Irish National Board's Scripture Lesson Books aro regularly read, and. lessons ■in civics and morals are given, as provided in tho syllabus of instruction, a copy of which is also forwarded. All teachers, irrespective of creed, are required ,to, tea6h,these Scripture lessons, and in no easo lias any refusal to do so taken place,' nor* has any complaint been mado to tho Department that tho lessons havo been ridiculed or made' light of, Section 18 of the Act, and tho regulations framed thereunder, allow a parent to withdraw his children from all religious instruction by notifyiug his wish in writing to the teacher. As a matter of, fact, such notifications aro so few that, for statistical purposes, thoy may bo said not to exist. The general outcomo of tho instruction is that nil pupils receive a substantial knowledge of Scripturo history, and are made acquainted with the moral teaching contained in tho Bible. "With'ajiew of obtaining a wide expression of opinion upon tho question as to whether tho Irish National Board's Scripture lessons aro advantageous in promoting tho moral and intellectual education of the pupils in public schools, a circular was'addressed to all inspectors of schools under this Department, requesting them to state their views upon the matter. ' It was found that .tho large majority of these officers expressed a decided opinion that the Scripturo lessons aro calculated to exercise : a beneficial effect upon the pupils, both morally and intellectually. Tho following extracts from the report of one of our most experienced inspectors may be taken as representing tho truo valuo of the lessons:— In cases where teachers deal with tho books as _ thoy would with ordinary class books, giving an intelligent exposition of the subject-matter., of'tlio. lessons, testing by an examination'to what extent tho pupils comprehend its scopo and meaning, ■ and dwelling with judicious force and impressivencss upon such points of; ''religion ana morals as theso lessons inculcate, thero can bo no doubt whatever of the benefits accruing.' " Outside this general religious instruction, Section 17 of. the Act provides for what is called special religious instruction. Any recognised clergyman, or "'other teacher authorised by his .Church haS< the right'to givo to tlio .children- of, his own denomination olio, hour's reljgidus instruction daily. Unlike tho general instruction, this may consist of worship and purely sectarian teaching. It is given during the ordinary school hours, and whero two or more' of differ: ent denominations'} visit, the veacher, , tho clergyman,- and tho School Board find no difficulty in making arrangements to suit all coiicorned. As a rule, no teacher of special, religious instruction visits more than onco a week.- In tho majority of cases tho clergymen visit, the schools: in the morning, but, should the hour prove inconvenient, the matter is one for-mutual;.arrangement between the clergyman and'.the toachers,'and is invariably settled .witlio.ut any friction.-.. Al-.'! though tho time set apart for religious;'in- ! struction is one hour, as a rule , clergymen, oil .becoming awaro that secular instruction is I divided,into lessons of'forty : fivo'minutes each ! throughout tho day, limit their instruction to a like period', in order to conform with'tho school time-table. " At a, conference of teachers, inspectors, departmental officers, arid prominent oducatipiipjists, held; in Sydney, in April, 1904, tlib, heads of tho various'religious denominations within the Stato' were' present, and delivered addresses on ethics, civics, and. morals, in which tho question of religious instruction in-pur sohools,'was introduced. A copy of 'this conference; report is forwarded under fsoparate cover, and may be of interest to you, ospocially in connection with the subject under consideration., I may. add that 110 "sectarian difficulties arj found in working tho clauses of the Public Instruction Act, providing for general or special religious instruction to the children attending our State schools.. The system has always formed a part of the school routino .here, ; arid, ,probably,.only a very small percentage of parents would liko any change made. ■ : " During tho year 1905 tho total number of visits paid to Stato schools by clergymen or other, religious teachers, for tho purposo of imparting special religious instruction to children of their own denominations, was '1-2,281. Detailed information is given in the subjoined table :— Number of Visits Denomination "during the Year. Church of England- ... ... 23,769 Roman Catholic ... , 797 Presbyterian ... ' 7,150 Methodist ~ , ...... . ..., ... 7,373 Other Denominations ... 3,387 " I liavo tho honour to be, Right Rev. Sir, ,' ■ - - ' '"Your obedient servant, "P. BOArtD, ' " Under-Secretary."