TEACHING OF HISTORY

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 144, 21 June 1922, Page 8

TEACHING OF HISTORY

CONSCIENCE CLAUSE IN ACT.

It may not be generally known that if parents object to their children being taught certain aspects of history at school, they may take advantage of a conscience clause in the Education Act. Reference to the subject was made at this morning's sitting of the Council of Education. '\ Mr. E. M'Callum, M.P., raised the matter by pointing out that some parents mighfi object to their children being taught certain things about Ireland^ or Scotland. In regard to the teaching of New Zealand history, care should be taken not to offend the Native race. For instance, the Maoris objected to reference to the "Wairau Massacre." As a matter of fact, it was no massacre in the first place', but a fair battle. The massacre came afterwards through the fault of the English. Miss E. E. Wilson (Newton East) quoted instances where the conscience clause had been used in Auckland, pupils leaving class because they objected to attending while certain history lessons were being taught. Mr. T. B. Fleming [Chief Inspector, Otago), thought that history should be a compulsory , subject for the junior national scholarship. He had moved to that effect at 'the conference of inspectors, but the motion was thrown out on account of the conscience clause in the Act. For free places, under the Education Regulations, history, and civics were compulsory. He was ,in favour of history being made a compulsory subject at the schools, because the objections to it were so small. The compulsory clause in the regulations regarding history and civics was certainly in opposition to the conscience clause in the Act. _____