BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1922, Page 8

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

70 188 EDITOR. Sir, —As the leading churches in New I Zealand are moving to get a new BibleI in-schools platform framed which will be more adapted to New, Zealand conditions, the following extract taken from a letter in The London Times supplement, 25th March, 1922, is of interest:—"The South African Federation arrived at a concordat on religious teaching in 1910, which might well form a model for a similar scheme in England to-day. As a result of an agreement between the Anglican Provincial Synod and the Dutch Reformed Church Synod a commission was appointed, with representatives from the following :—Anglican, Dutch, Baptist, Congregational, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, and from the two Teachers' Unions, i.e., Dutch and English speaking. After several months' session a syllabus of Scripture lessons . .' . was agreed upon by the .ministers of all these denominations. This was submitted to the State, and in 1910 was ratified and passed by the Union Parliament for use in all the State schools. I Opposition came from a very small Unitarian and Secularist minority, but this | case was met by a special conscience 1 clause. Here is an agreed settlement which has worked satisfactorily in South Africa for twelve years." The Education1 CoiHrnission set up in South Africa I declared in favour of Scripture instruction, but reported unfavourably, or against,' local school committee control of religiius instruction; (See Times Educational Supplement, 4th June, 1912.) This last paragraph should be noted, as New Zealand School Committees control, to an extent, religious instruction in schools under the Nelson system. ■ The fact that nearly 70 per cent, of parents voted for religious instruction in schools qt the polls taken, in 1921-22,, in Wellington, is an indication that public opinion is against the pvesent purely secular system of national education. The leading educationists of Great Britain, have declared recently for the use of the Bible in schools, and their decision has been backed up by the London Times, 10th November, 1921. (See leading article in Literary Supplement; also see the report of the" Departmental Committee oil the Teaching of English in, England).— I am, etc., . ... AN OBSERVER. 30th June. ,