BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 687, 11 December 1909, Page 6

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOL/HOURS NOT '"'•'•;".:■.'/'':,.'■ ,PERMITTED'.'-.'; : -:, ; .: •. : ;''':-; EDUCATION : BOARD AND 'MASTERTON :::; i /.;/-.'/:/V- COMMITTEE.; ; ■■:■•//;.-::/ . : >:- : .An old,! ' introduction • of Bible lossohs.,,in. schools—:Wos revived' at' .the meet- i ing'. of the'Wellington'Education Board yes--torday when'a letter from the 'MastertpnSchoolCommittee was read. ': The committee Btated that■;it. wished to. introdtico' into, the-'Master-ton school. the • Nelson system of religious -(instruction for: one half hpur/flfonoVday, iri'each' week, and unless there." was soma very-strong reason against it,, at' present'unknown; to the. committee, -to ■ commence ■•this'.' system, directly, after the .Christmas, holidays. The committee had • carefully .read ,the Education Act ■ and could, find nothing therein which forbade the step proposed; it had made -exhaustive inquiries ! and had learned with: satisfaction, that the Nelson: system had- already-, been, intro--duced to a largo .number'-of- schools 'of'the Dominion; and everywhere with pronounced, success/fit'was, of course, nhdorstbod thaino child, whose parents objected,, wquld- be compelled to attend the religious instruction, and that arrangements had: been made with _the ! local, ministers of religion to undertake the work .'of carrying.' out; the Nelson system'.' Tho chairman-(Mr. Robert. Lee)'said that ho understood that tho request meant one half hour per weet—from : 9 t0.9130 a.m. "The board's regulations' expressly, stipulated .that -25 hours' seculariinstruction'should ;b'o 'given. '.. '",' '-.'■- vMr. A. W: Hogg, .M.P., agreed, that there was no. getting over 'the: regulations. " He .had I noticed feat the-Eketahuna School Committee had declined to. entertain a- proposal from Dri F. Wallace /Mackenzie oil the same,subject. '

j/,.Mr. ,W; Allani:.: What;-; notice-is required' for an- amendments of. the'^regulations?.■...'■ ~•'■. ~':Mr;>J..'Kebbell:!:Three'in'ohth3,; - >'; ; '~'•'■..•' ;■' > MK;: A^.H..'•Vile';mo'ved'.that'the .-Masterfon' 'CbMmittee'be-vinfbrnied''that''.the' 1 ; regulation's didS not. permit: of'religious.'; instruction. being given 'in'.school' hours." .".The''Act, he' said, did not'•■allow, -it;?.': They .could '.not entertain, 'any ,1 suggestion ~ that ; Bible instruction ;be ■', given .9 "toVg.SOiaim. .".There.;was,, of ..course, .no i . "objection ] to ."such., instruction i be-■ ■fore;'or after ;school':hburs.'-';,The/schooU-.build-iiigs.i were.,:aft the 'disposal;, of. religious' bodies befbrevbr!"after "schb'ol hoirfs.' :-, He' Objected'to: anything',el*3.'.;;',.',: ".';■-. ;-;"'. •'.'Mr.:;Hdgg'seconded, the inbtibn.,>; The;experi■merit"6f'givirigJ'Bibleiless6hs'aftbr'school hours, had""not:becrija.'success;' 'TToii/chn' lead' a.horse to■'• th'e.;water£;but : ; you can't 'make .him .'drink;" he''-philbs6phised^.''''-> ; '\ ;':-'; ;'• -/•.;'•''- ■'. ' .:< w;;;-; : ' ?;!Mr.V(Aitken jmoved.vas, an amendment:vThata';'reDly- be' ; sent- to. the 'committee- to"tUe'/effect'-th'at-tM';'Act'.'forbids-ah'yV.bUt ;seoiilaWinstruc-' tiohyduringvschqol'hours.jbut sympathises with the'.c6mmitteo' : in::its:'de'site.: to'-'.have; religious instruction in. its > school^',,;The; .committee' directly', :;represented;- : ';the'. parents,'' land '•■ this action ■'must' havc'.'been';■ taken* .'with' their: apprp.yal.'s.;He would'also give thptice'.'of motion, ■to'.' redhbe .the "'hours' of .'secular;', instruction to 24i 'per; week. -V-■ '..'"':'.-., '."?■■ :j , Mr.; Hogg': 'Ton,. can'.t reduce' the hours. '■',;-; "'.'■: The.; chairman ..'explained'': that'; the '.minimum i-equired/by.'tho' Act-was. 20 hours .per'-vweek. ■ } Mr.,'Vile:-The Ministor: wants to increase the number ,of ; hours' -per day. to s}. .•' The-'whole .question-., 16 a :debatable'• one' ..There : is -not '.a'' l.full.board.present. ■■:",. : .- .--■' •..■ .-'{••.■ ;' ■ :.', Mr.;'Hogg-/.Bring;.it)up••later- bn, and,let;W .hav'e/a'good.'shindyiabbut; it.'■', •"■: '~».:: 'Ultimately,'members',voted. on ; the .original motion (Mr. .yile's), and -were-evenly divided. Tho,; chairman; gave his,;casting..vote in. favour of; the. motion, which, was therefore-; carried. .