BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 81, 7 April 1913, Page 3

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

TO Tttß BOITOB. _ Sir,— The Bible-in-Schools League is circulating a leaflet in which a "grossly dishonest attempt is made to show that, although the Roman Catholic Church declares the New South Wales' system of religious instruction cannot be accepted by them, yet their priests "visit and instruct" about 31,000, Roman Catholic children in the State schools under this very system. This leaflet states that: — "The following official statistics of New, South -Wales show that visits Were paid to State schools by Roman' Cathoh* priests to instruct the . Romah Catholic children." (Note the last six words.) i . ' " Children

The leaflet further repeats ' its untrue statement :— "Thus it will be seen from the above figures that the system .... obtained for the Roman Catholic Church' the valued opportunity df 'visiting and instructing' an annual average of 31,423 children." Now both statements and the columns of figures given above are utterly' false in their application. The figures have been compiled by the Bible : in-Schools League from returns of which I give a specimen for the year- 1908s — , ' .

Now the 216,720 children - mentioned here as "children enrolled" arc- not the children taught by the ministers during the above visits. They are the sum total of all the children attending all the State schools in New South Wales, over 3000 schools. The Year Book gives the average roll number for 1908 as; 216,747. Thus the Bible-m-Schdols • League has taken for each year from,- 1905 to,' 1911 the total number of Roman Catholic children "enrolled" in all the. 3d W., schools in! the State, has placed these numbers opposite the "visits" paid' by priests, has' altered the heading ' from' "chlldfen enrolled to "children , instructed," and by the repeated use of the wOrds> "visit and instruct" has linked the two columns to make it appear that the priests "visit and instruct" an annual . average of 31,423 • children. The' roll . number . for 1908, which I quote from the -Year Boole, exposes this contemptible trick., _ Such is' the Australian evidence circulated .in support of the league's -programme. Such is the strategy ,and the cunning of the Bible-.in-Schools League^ in what it callß the ."Battle for the Biblo." . \ '' In 1910, for .instance, 840 -visits by priests would provide 28 visits In the year to thirty schools." If' 31,755 children were "instructed"*' during • these visits there would heed to He' over 1000 Roman Catholic children in' each school. We are also asked *k> believe th&t^'in 1908, in 1032 visits, the priests.instructed .over 7000 'children ' more- than - the Presbyterian '. ministers; instructed. 1 yin s«ven times as many visits, as the' priests paid: -• - - - '?•:-'■ The , Bible-in-Schools ' League's '" campaign is unhappily characterised by this policy •of utterly untnue, 'h'alf-t?ue/> and cunmnglv devised catches by, which -it hopes to introduce^ system for the moral' and spiritual uplift' of our children.—* I am, etc., ? ■ ' ; JOHN.CAUGHLEY. Christchurch, March, 1913.' ' !

• Children Denominations' ' Visits Enrolled fourch of England,.. 24,701. 113,728 'resbyterian ... 7443 „ 25;119 tfethodist 7,604 29,850 )ther Churches" ... .4,441- 15,479 toman Catholic ... 1,032 32,544 ' Total ' 216,720

¥ear .905 L 906 1907 1908 1909 . 1910 L9II ' Visits 797 1127 1100 . 1032 936 840 711 Instructed 29,662 ■ 30,419 32,673 ■32,544 ' 3i;3?8 , 31,7£5 31,940