CORRESPONDENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXI, Issue 39, 16 February 1911, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

EDUCATION SYSTEM. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — I am no friend to controversy, l'eligious, political, or philosophical. I do not write, therefore, to awaken and stir up controversy ; but, rather, in the hope (though it be a vain one), of allaying it, of throwing oil on " troubled waters, and of drawing attention to one important point, which, I think, has be-en strangely overlooked, or misunderstood, in the question of denominationaJ and secular (national) education. I have remarked that, all through, antidenominationalists in the Dominion are possessed with the fear that denominationalism, State-recognised, and Sbatesubsidised, necessarily impKes the subversion of the national system; that to recognise it and introduce it, means sounding the death-knell of tie State schools. But, sir, for the life of me, I cannot see any reason for such an appreshension. Denominational schools are recognised by the Governments of England and Germany ; they are "under Government," as we call it in England, and are not labelle d ' 'private schools j the Education Department subsidises them with grants, and this without any fear for the stability of its "boord schools.'/ Are these "board schools," in all these years since their first establishment, and the national system, any the worse, are they in any danger, because denominational schools are State-aided? Catholics (and others) in England, have tho same grievance that Catholics have in New Zealand, viz., that of being taxed to support the board schools, to which they cannot conscientiously send their children, and, at the same tame, having to support their own schools ; but there is this vast difference, that in England the burden of contributing to the support of the board schools is alleviated, if not compensated for, by the State subsidies, "a fair wage for a fair day's work," while here in the Dominion, Catholics have no such compensation ; and the very naming of it, the statement of their grievances, and tho appeal (which i 9 always thought to be such a. thoroughly English appeal) for "fair ' play," immediately causes a howl of what I cannot but call fanaticism, the raising of "danger signals," as if the whole political edifice of our democracy was threatened and endangered. It seems to me, an Englishman, if I may say so without giving offence, bo absurd, this fetishism of the secular national system, this -panic, a& if what works well in England and Germany, and elsewhere, must necessarily endanger, or at least threaten, our young and small democracy. v Catholics are not undermining the State schools ; nay, they have openly stated again and again that if the State establishes schools, these schools'' can only, in justice to all, abstain from all religious teaching. Catholics do not ask anything for themselves which they would not be glad to see accorded to other denominations, if these other denominations are galled, as they themselves are, by like burdens 1 ; if these others build and support their own schools without any relief or compensation from the State. But they cannot "fall down and worship" the national fetish, "the golden image" of secularism, "qitam oonstituit' Nabuchodonosor rex." Sir, I am an Englishman, thank God ; and, as Cardinal Manning used to say of himself, "English to the backbone." But I have lived so long in this "England of the Pacific" that I have learnt to 'love it as dearly as "the Old Country." My prayer for it is that its "mountains may bring peace, and its hills righteousness to the people." And it is to me pitiable to see its senators so impolitic and 'unstatesmanlike, and its people so dead to an appeal for "fair play," so easily panic-struck at the thought even of the "thin edg© of the wedge" pricking them, when we Catholics ask for a measure of justice such as our fellow-countrymen "at Home" have met with. In a certain well-authenticated history we read how, in a certain ancient city, "there arose no small disturbance about" a religious question; and how a certain wiseacre, named Demetrius, called together his fellow-craftsmen, and put their backs up by telling them that, owing to one Paid, "not only this our craft is in danger to be s&t at naught, but also the temple of great Diana shall be reputed for nothing, yea, and her majesty shall begin to be destroyed," etc. Having thus raised the danger-signal, he managed at' once to cause a universal tumult, and "they were full of anger, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians." After having behaved lilt© a, sel of lunatics "for the space of about two hours," during which, like all mobs, they managed to perform several acts of violence, and would not even give Paul, th& innocent occasion of their panic, a fair hearing, they wore at last pacified by the only man amongst them who had kept a cool head, their "townclerk." "Ye men of Ephesus," hesad, "what man is there that knoweth not) that the city of I^he Ephesians is a^ worshipper of the great Diana. . . For as much, then, as these things cannot be gainsaid, you ought> to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly," etc. Sir, substitute New Zealand for Ephesus, and the cry "great> is the secular system of education" for that of the Ephesian' populace, and I think we have something like this ancient history being enacted in oui midst to-day. Have we not among our statesmen and politicians som« ) level-headed, fair-minded "town-clerk" who can appease the people, and assure them that not only is their national system not in danger, bub oven the temple they have sob up of tho great secular education will not be. reputed for nothing, and that its "majesty is not necessarily beginning to be destroyed," because the co-religionistfe of "one Paul"' ask for "fair play?" In enclose my name and address, but "not for publication;" not because I have not "the courage of my convictions," but because my name is that of only an insignificant citizen and could carry no weight, and I am not attacking any individual under the nor- de-plume of ENGLISHMAN. Wellington, 15th February, 1911.