RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 110, 3 February 1941, Page 10

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Daily Prayers Or Weekly Instruction Periods NO OBJECTION TAKEN BY DEPARTMENT Tito New Zen la nd Bible in Schools League's .standing committee recently reviewed Hie position arising from differences of opinion among educational authorities about the use of l he Lord’s Pia.ver in primary schools. Though mu directly implicated in this special mtiil?r. tlie committee. after obtaining legal opinion, has issued the lollowing pronouncement on I lie general religions practices widely in use in New Zealand prim.-iry schools :-- From whatever angle the mailer recently al issue between Hie Education Department and education boards may be viewed, ii can lie slated (lefiiiilely llrnt no objection Ims been raised by the tii-pa rtmem io the weekly liall-liotir of religious instruction or the short daily period of devotional observances which have been so widely ailople'd. The nuH'.ority for these is gained, first, by the exercise of the education board of its power Io reduce the time of comptbsory secular instruction, and. second, ly. by Ihe action of School committees in making ibe necessary a era ngemmits for religions activities during the lime Huts deducted. Siu-h provision h.-ir-moniz.es hoi It will) Hie statements of Hie Director of Education and with decisions made by various education boards. The voluntary . principle applies t hroughoiit. and Hie arrangement is by Statue placed in lite hands, not of any teacher or body of teachers, but of boards and school committees. Al! teachers are free to participate in both ihe instruction and Hie observances as they may desire once the school committees have given their sanction.