"HANDS OFF!"

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 138, 7 December 1912, Page 11

"HANDS OFF!"

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS DEFENCE OF EXISTING SYSTEM MEETING IN WELLINGTON. A VIGOROUS PROTEST. The Concert Chamber of thp Town Hall was well filled last evening, when a meeting was held under the auspices of the National Schools Defence League. The Mayor (Mr. D. M'Laren) presided, and many well-known educationists and public men occupied seats on the platform. The proceedings were enthusiastic throughout. The Chairman said that he was pleased to preside^ and he could only wish that the hall was even better filled. No subject was more clearly connected with citizenship than that of education. None of the speakers would attack anyone's religion— indeed', they .would assert the right of religious conviction and religious opinion generally. In his own case he said he had come from a country where religious feuda were all too common, and he rejoiced now that he lived in a country where * religious riots could not occur. Here we had a system of school instruction where all were trained as comrades. The children of the JeWj just as the Christian, stood in 'the public school* as. little brothers. There were no class distinctions. The most vital thing was that the schools should be concerned with the needs of the citizens that were to be. The speakers on the platform were not there so much to deny certain things as to affirm certain things. (Applause.) They wanted the children to live together in the school in harmony with one another. No political majority had the right to interfere with the conscience of any individual. (Applause.) The teachers had to be protected against any possibility of interfering with their training of the minds of the young. He was atfraid that there were thousands of people who would vote on a referendum on Bible in schools who would not take the trouble to read the Bible to the children in their own homes. People who had spoken of oar system of education as Godless did so without a regard for vital truth. All organisations, on the same basis, could -be branded as Godless merely because they were secular. He hoped the ' whole matter would be reasoned out cabniy and deliberately in the interests of the city and the interests of the country. THE FIRST MOTION Mr. A. ft. Atkinson moved i— * "That this meeting Us of opinion that there should be no departure from the existing free, secular, and compulsory system of education." He said that they were not there to attack any man's creed or any man's religion or a secularist creed against any current form of Christianity. They were there in the interests of tire harl»miouß working of our education system. The promoters ot the meeting were there to s»y "Haads off" if H attempted to lay hands on the church, just as they wished to say "Bands off' if the church intended fco lay hands' on one of their leading institutions. Aa far as religion was concerned, there was absolute liberty in this country. How cotdd the State adopt any J&tticular creed for teaching in the senoeds' without raising a religious issue ? Tire State in this country had no religion, and so long as it maintained justice and equality to a/1 there was no ground tot establishing preference. Take the) position of Roman Catholics : they made a eMm for a denommafcional grant, which was resisted. If a Protestant te*tbook was adopted for the schools they could not in justice refuse some measure of assistance to , the Roman Catholics. (Applause.) He regretted to see at the Presbyterian General Assembly the talk about Home Rale and Roman Rule, and went on to quote the views of Principal Henderson, a leading Baptist in EngJand, to the effect that it was "irreligious to be unjust to any man." Be adopted that as against Canon Garland's examination of the attitude of the Baptists. OTHER SYSTEMS. Mr. Atkinson examined the New Sottth Wales ajstem, and passed some scathing observations on it to the applause of his hearers, He wondered how much of the sweetness of IHe which they were wont to associate with tho Sydney larrikin was due to tile influence of this marvellous text-book which was in, us© in the schools there. (Applause.) The people who drew comparisons with th© Australian and New Zealand system overlooked' the intense local interest which wag manifested here in the management of out echook. What would it be like down in Ofcttgo if a- committee there one© got scent ot a good heresy hunt? (Laughter.) The matter, he said, was a v«*y .«erious o«e if religious teaching were once allowed to be made a compulsory subject. On the platform were many educational experts— repi^esenta-t-ivee of the University 1 afld teaching profession, arid the chairman of the Wellington Education Board (M*. Robert Lee). The message of the Bibie-in-Schools League to the teachers, if they would not give the teaching the league Tenmred, was that they should go. He would be very much *urpriaed and disappointed if three-fourths or four-fifths of the school teachers in New Zealand would not repudiate the lessons of the m*h text-book (in use in New South Wales) or the Queensland text-book. (Applause.) if they kept politics out of religion, and religion out of politics, afld maintained the pretfent system they would be doing a, good thing. (Applause.) " , CHAIRMAN OF EDUCATION BOARD Mr. Robert Lee (chairman of the Education Boardl that he woilkl speak as one who had 50 years' experience in the teaching of all kinds of schools. They had amongst them a very worthy gentleman who was carrying oo a conscientious mission, which' would again bring the schools under the domination of the clergy. A*, long ac he (the speaker) could remember the clergy had been anxious ie keep control of 'the schools In his early days nearly all the schools were church schools, and to his mind there was nothing which had tended more k> hold back the progress of real education than the desire of the clergy t'» subordinate it to the teaching of religion New Zealand had made v strong point in its system— that of making it free, Jocular, and compulsory. A WORD TO PARENTS. He wanted to say a word to parents who ware a-nxaoufi to bring up thpir children in a religious way. If they thought that what was proposed would give a good and satisfactory religious training they were living under a great delusion. Once introduce religion and things would Jifit work smoothly. The schoolmaster resenteri the introduction into the school of the clerical mind. (Hear, hear.) Anyone who knew about the internal working of whoals knew th;it-the teacher and the clergyinafl would not pull together. How was it. possible to extract front the .Bible hucli passages as would suit all tsstes and beliefs? The whole scheme was impracticable. It was highly undefiirrfblr that i'flia should be introduced in any way into the f-cbools and no strife wa« so bbi ter RiS religious otfife. Further, there wae tho position of the .

teacher to be considered. The Education Boaid here did not know the religi6n of ;iny teacher What parent who wanted his child brought up in a religious way would trust his child to the accidental training (in religion) of <ivy teacher whose attitude lit' did not know? It wins not a mere matter of getting up a few Teligous facts, and the common school was not tho jilace for religious training. The mere reading of a passage of scripture had no more value than the reading of any other 3'ibject. In conclusion, he said they should be Well satisfied with the secular system — it kept'the clergy on their own ground. (ApplHv**.) The motion was carried with acclamation, with only seven dissentients. THE REFERENDUM Mr. J. Hutcheson moved : "As the proposals of the Bible-in-Schools League raise issues involving, both for parents and teachers, matters of conscience, this meeting is of opinion that no such issues should be determined by means of a general plebiscite or referendum." He declared that he would always be found against any agitation of the Kind now being Urged. There was no right on the part of any body of individuals to "bind the conscience of any single individual. It Would be the worst mo- | ment for this little country of ours when the Bible Was introduced into the schools. (Applause.) The£ had the pronouncement of one of the leaders of the Catholic Church that they would not have the Bible expounded except by one of their own accredited teachers. Once introduce the Bible, or any text-book of the Bible, and there could be no logical excuse for refusing a denominational grant for Catholic schools. (Applause.) Our free secular system of education had done more for the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man than all the ministers of religion. (Applause.) DISSENSION AND BITTERNESS. He declared that the life of the children in the schools, under the Bible system, would be marked by dissension, bitterness, and rancour. In New South Wales there were children who could tell the names of the last twelve winners of the Melbourne Cup who could not tell you the name of one of the twelve Apostks. Finally, he said he hoped the present agitation would never succeed. (Applause.) A TEACHER'S VIEW Mr. Clement Watson, headmaster of the Willis-street School, said he was sorry that there was any occasion for his being there. He Had to deal with children of all religions, and probably if this evil thing ever came into operation he would be retired and out of the service. So he had no personal interest, but w-hen he was asked to speak he could Hot- refuse to come and say a few words, lie had been teaching in Wellington for thirty-seven years, and this question had never yet interfered with his working of his school, and he hoped it never would. HOW IS THE TEACHING TO BE GIVEN? Dealing with the general question, he asked how the teaching was to be given. Were the clergy to take charge of the children, and what particular clergy were to be admitted to so take ! charge? Those who had experience of taking charge of a large nuiriber of children knew what sort of a charge it would be! What would be his position? He would have to say : Protestante, go to No. 7, and so on. (Laughter. ) What of those who might be descrißed by some as the religious refuse? He pictured the kind of sentiment which would grow up betAveen children of different religions in the schools if the Bible was once introduced into the schools. There would, he said, be no end to sectarian bitterness. Tie proposal, from the teachers' point of view, was one of the greatest farces that could be imagined. The motion was again carried by an overwhelming majority. FOR THE DEFENCE Mr. A. H. Hindmarsh moved:— " < "That this meeting resolves to form itself into a j society for defence of our existing national system of education." •He reminded the meeting that our education system here was the product of the minds of men who liad experience of teachifig in religious schools in England, and he felt confident that the great majority of the people in New Zealand would be loyal to the schools they had passed throngh. Canon Garland and his supporters were attempting an impossible task. As a democrat he (the speaker) had always believed in nationalisation. Mr. Hindmarsh elaborated points touched on by other speakers, and resumed his seat amidst hearty applause. i Mr, John Gammell seconded the I motion m a vigorous speech. The proposal was again carried with a few objectorg. The following office-bearers of the league were elected:— President, Mr. D. ATLaren ; vke-pi-eeidents. Mi • Hellyer, Myers, Dowdeswell, Professors Laby and Kirk, Messrs. John Gammell, JR. Lee, J. Hutcheson, P. 0. Freeth, W. T £ rt W& J ' S< Term! *™% J- C. Webb, G. M'Morran, C. Watson, W. Foster, D. Beading Held j committee, Rev. Mr. Jelly. Messrs. A. R. Atkinsdn, J. Hutcheson, A. Lindsay, G. Partridge, D. Poison, J. M. Richardson, and J. Alexander; joint secretaries, Professors Mislenzie, Hunter, and Mr. H. Joosten. LEAGUE FORMED IN CHRISTCHURCH (BY TKtBOBAffI— SRKSS ASSOCIATION.) CHRISTCHURCH, 6th December. At a meeting attended by fifty persons, including several ladies, and composed chiefly of public school teachers, it was decided that a league be formed in Christchurch to oppose the platform of I the Bible-in-Schools League and to support the present system of free, secular, and compulsory education. Officers wero [ appointed, Mr. J. Caughley, M.A., being elected president. Following is the basis of the platform referred to the committee to draw Up the league's platform : (1) While recognising the value of the Bible > and oF religion, we maintain that the policy proposed by the Bible-in-Schools League is opposed to civil and religious liberty, and ia a menace to om* national system of education ; (2) we, therefoie, pledge ourselves to defend the present national secular system of education ; (3) we also pledge ourselves to resist the proposal to take a referendum on a question which deals with religion and liberty of conscience.