BILL NOT FAVOURED

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 16, 13 October 1932, Page 6

BILL NOT FAVOURED

Bible-in-Schools Measure DEFENCE LEAGUE’S VIEWS lu rhe opinion of the National Schools’ Defence League, the Religious Instruction in Public Schools Enabling Bill, now before Parliament, is just as antagonistic to sound principle and public policy as any of the Bills previously introduced. Strong opposition to the passing of the measure was expressed at a meeting of the league in a motiou, proposed by Professor Hunter, and seconded by Mr. John Hutcheson, which contained the following objections : — Religious ncutralitj' hitherto observed bv .the State in its educational system will be violated by the proposal of (be Religious Instruction in Publie Schools Enabling Bill to introduce a Protestant text-book and religious exercises into the curriculum of the State schools. The proposed conscience clause will introduce invidious distinctions between the teachers, and will expose those who take advantage of it to annoyance, friction, and loss. . ■, There is no conscience clause to exempt a taxpayer from contributing to the cost of a kind of teaching to which be objects. The principle of denominational preference is carried further in a clause intended to conciliate the Roman Catholics by giving them special facilities m regard to the exemption of both teachers and children. The effect of granting the proposed preferences to the Protestant churches in the State schools must be to strengthen the demand of the Roman Catholics for the subsidising of their schools ■by _ the State, and will probably make it irresistible. • The reading of scraps of the Bible, whether with or without comment, by secular teachers in a secular atmosphere is not to teach religion, and will often have the opposite effects, and the real cure for the alleged “godlessness of the schools” is to increase the facilities for voluntary religious instruction by Christian ministers and other competent religious teachers with their hearts in the work under what is known as the Nelson system. It was resolved that the Religious Instruction iu Public Schools Enabling Bill was just as antagonistic to sound principle and public policy as any of the Bills previously introduced by the same party with a similar object, and that a petition be presented to Parliament praying that rhe Bill be not passed and that no change be macle in the law except for the purpose of removing the present obstacles to the extension of the Nelson system. The action of the secretary, Professor MacKenzic, in arranging with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education for the reception of a deputation in opposition to the Bill on Thursday, October 20, at 10.45 a.m. was confirmed.