BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 81, 7 April 1910, Page 4

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

WORKING OF THE "NELSON" SYSTEM. INTERESTING OPINIONS. Some time since householders in the Willis-street distiict petitioned the School Committee to have the Bible read in the school once a week, under what is known as the "Nelson* system. Oix receipt of the petition a sub-com-mittee, with Dr. F. Wallace Mackenzie I as chairman, was set up to gather as much information as possible with regard to the working of that system from those committees which have adopted it. The queries put were as follow :—: — (1.) Is . the Bible read in your j school? • [ (2.) Please slate if under the "Nelson** ! system. *(3.) Have these Bible lessons had any effect on the scholars as regards discipline, behaviour, or in changing the tone of the school. The 'Willis-street school committee has decided to adopt the Nelson system, and meanwhile it is interesting to notice the answers that have been received to the committee's enquiries. A REASONABLE COMPROMISE. The headmaster of the Boys' school , Nelson, says: "I regard it (the Nelson system) as furnishing a reasonable compromise between the claims advanced by the Bible-in-schools party on the one hund and by the extreme Secularists on the other. The system has for a lotig time past been working quite smoothly in Nelson, and it has given rise to no practical difficulties whatever. The large majority of the children attend the classes as a matter of course, and the school teachers, who are generally present during the. lesson, devote their time- to the preparation of school work. Lhere has never yet been any trouble in maintaining discipline. With regard to the effect of the system upon the ordinary school work, it is evident that as tho number of school hours is reduced from 25 to 24 J per week, the secular work must necessarily suffer at the most to the extont of two per cent., and that is obviously not a very appreciable quantity. Moreover, it must be borne in mind that the Bible lessons are to a large extent made a vehicle for moral instruction — a subject which holds a prominent place in our school syllabus." Thp headmistress of the Girls' Central school, Nelson, which has a roll of 627 pupils, says : — "Although the attendance is voluntary, practically the whole of the children who intend to be pre* sent at the ordinary school seesion, attend 1 the class* . . . Those in chart* of the special classes are regular in qU tendanw, so that the class is now pegarrled by pupils as part of the daf's routine, and, apart front the loss of the half hour, per week, the. ordinary work of the school is not seriously inconvenienced."' * ' The headmaster of the Richmond (Nelson) school reports: — "Scri»turo lessons have been given", with some periods of intermission, for ovm 25 yeftjrs- During that period no objection has been raised against them; Catholic children have simply absented . themselves while the lessons are being given. Answering tho question in deUil he says: — (1.) Hible instruction is given in imy school with my entire approval. 12.) f do uot consider that my school is handicapped in any way by the less-on. On the contrary, I think that the mental equipment of fhe children is improved by tho lessons given, especially so when the instruction la skilful and sympathetic. (3.) The weekly Bible lesson should have a £apd effect upon the moral tono of the school . . I may add that some time ago parents wero invited by circular to express their opinions in wrHiug on the. subject. None of these, however, except Catiiolics, declined to allow their children to attend the Bible lessons." A NAPIER OPINION. The secretary of the District school committee, Napier, writes): — The. Nelson system of Bible reading is adopted in our schools, which it carried out as follows : . Clergymen of all denominations come into the school once a week for' half an hour . .. . and take a standard each, there being no drafting out of differeirt denominations. Parents who object may ketjp their children away from Bible instruction. This system has been in vogue in our school for about eighteen siionths, and works satisfactorily. The headmaster reports that "the attendance has been ' very satisfactory, and the discipline of the school has in no uny suffered from tho | visits of those conducting the classes." OTHEK VIEWS. The Rev. J. R. Clark, Methodist Pareoaage, Karori, -writes that the Mm,- , isters' Association expressed its sympathy with the movement. Tho chairman *of the Wanganui School Committee Ftatca that as there are four schools- to pro-rvd« Bible instrnction for, I the Ministers* Arnociatiou have only been able to provide for one day a'l three of the schools, and they are about to arrange for the fourth to be wrved also. He tieporU favourably on the working of the. ncheme, adding that there are somewhere about a thousand children receiving Bible instruction weekly. The chairman of the Feilding School Committee (Mr. W. F. Bramwell) replied to the circular that the Bible is read in the school on one afternoon ncr week from 3 to 3.15 p.m. The Bible is read, and instruction, imparted by the various Poolestant ministers. The chilI dren arc net dismissed at 3, aud only those A-ho have brought notes from their parents »re allowed' to leave. . . Four-fifta* of the children sUj for Bible kAsons. The Nelson system i? not a'ionted. As to the third question; "Hue theae Bible lesson* h«d any effect on tbe scholars as regards discipline, behaviour, or a changing in the tone of the school?" the chairman of the committee *ays: "I have consulted the headmaster, who states that he is not in a po&Uhon to answer the question. "I may .lay," adds Mr. Bramwell, "the tone «f the school is good and the children well-behaved, but this statement would, also apply to the school before the present system was introduced." He also titates that parents seem well satisfled vrith the present arrangement. The chainnau of the Nelson School (Mr. J. H. MacKanzie) rapliea. that ia sue schools the Bible ha* been read for twelve years under the Nelson system. Parents are well satisfied with the workinto of the system. ' ' The chairman of th# Blenheim School Committee report* that the Bible is nut read by the children. Instructor* from the Church. of England, Waslcyan. find the Salvation Army attend every week for half an hour, 'and the schools are divided up between the instructor^ The writer says he understands that the instruction i.« given under what is known a* the Nelson *vs>tem. As to the effect, tho writer says:* "The headmaster informs me that no > * ffrit is visible. The system ha* not been in vogue for more "than a year " There i.«, no goe* on to say. no doubt that the parent* are ratL<fied. Mr. W Cole, » hairuian of the Mount Eden School Committee, writes : "We have no religions instruction in the Mount Eden School whatever, noi hi? theie been any for al least ten years. . „ „ And far from being satisfied, with

tho present educational system, ths Stut«' i'm not getting an equivalent for tl'<* large Minis of money fpent. Cmrte'-y, respect, gentlemanly behaviour, and tln» like 66>eutial qualities nr<* *ul>jeoU which appear to have scant attention "