P.P.A. CRITICISM

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 38, 13 August 1930, Page 3

P.P.A. CRITICISM

SECTARIAN SCHOOLS

THE CORONATION OATH

The annual meeting of the Dominioa Council of the Protestant Political Association, held yesterday, criticised the attitude of the Minister of Education, tht Hon. H. ACmore, towards sectarian schools. The following resolution was carried and will be forwarded to the. Prime Minister: —

"Our council views with grave anxiety and concern the Press reports proving the inroads that are being made on the settled policy of our national system of free, undenominational, and compulsory education by the attendance at the opening of sectarian schools, the spending of public funds on, and the eulogising of the work carried on in these institutions by the Minister of Education. It expresses the opinion that the needs of the national system of education are sufficient to demand the whole of the Minister's time and energy." . . ,

It was also decided to bring the following resolution before the Prime Minister: "Believing that the present system of election of sub-committees by householders and the election of boards of education by the committeernen is entirely democratic and in the best interest of ths national system of. education as now existing, our council deprecates any alteration in that system as suggested by the Bill now before the House in favour of centralising power- and authority in a Department of State. It also points out that the system of national education is being further encroached upon by the extension of dental clinic facilities to other than the national schools, and reiterates its opposition to any such extension to private schools." . ■

The retention of the King's Coronation' Oath in its present form was affirmed a» desirable in the following resolution: — "Regarding it as essential to the interests of Protestantism within the Empire that no further modification of the King* Coronation Oath should be permitted, the Dominion Council of the Protestant Political Association enters its protest against any proposals that may be made in that direction at the Imperial Conference, and respectfully suggests that the New Zealani Parliament should instruct its representatives at such Conference to oppose any movement having that objective." With regard to the proposal to dispense with the Judicial Committee of the Privf Council, the following resolution was passed:—

"The Dominion Council further views with grave apprehension ■ the . proposals made by certain of the Dominions to dispense with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as the final Court of Appeal for British subjects. It therefore also suggests that New Zealand's representatives at the Conference should oppose any such proposals in their application to this Dominion, feeling satisfied that a'majority of our people are opposed to any departure from the existing right of appeal on vitally important judicial questions to a tribunal having the detached interest possessed by the judicial committee of the Privy Council." Opposition to the proposal; to permit the training of nurses in private hospitals ;wat recorded. A resolution was carried expressing the opinion that to equip nurses adequately for their profession, training in public hospitals under the supervision of ■ptibleJy paid officers was essential. The. meeting was attended by delegates from all parts of the Dominion. Amendments to the Constitution were considered at length, and all retiring officers vrevit re-elected. ■