INSTITUTE DISCUSSION

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 8, 9 July 1931, Page 15

INSTITUTE DISCUSSION

MAJORITY ADVERSE

DEVOTKMAL EXERCISES

The Wellington branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute last evening discussed for two hours the Bible in Schools Bill, and a motion of objection to the proposals was finally carried by a considerable majority of those present.

. The debate was opened :by Mr. IV. Combs, who moved to the effect 'that tho objections taken to the Bible in schools in the past exist just as much to-day and that a special objection could be taken to the provision in" the Bill for the conducting of devotional exercises, that being.no lnqro-thc-func-tion of the teacher than of any other layman. Mr. Combs said that the objections were so old and so well ventilated that it was almost needless to repeat them. The maiu objection ..was that it was impossible to- reconcile widely differing opinions among perfectly genuine people. The- .schools were never more Christian than to-day. The Christianity that nine out of ten people would prefer was ono of behaviour and outlook, rather than of mere ritual, and.that was the Christianity which characterised' school life" to-day in New -Zealand. He considered that very strong objection .could, be ; taken tp the conducting of devotional exercises. Up till verf recent days it was unthinkable that those who ,stood forward as the chanipions of faith should permit mere laymen to give instruction in religious matters,.but-that was what the new -Bill .would require laymen to do. Ample proof should be required that teachers were capable- of -giving, such instruction. .If the Bill '.were: passed he was afraid that'the- teach-' ing of the Bible would become no more than a prosaic part of school routine. Faith must bo deep-rooted in those giving instruction, and there .would be a tendency under a system of-mechan-ical imposition of the teaching becoming to some extent irreligious. Already,- continued Mr.'. Coihbs, .tire: syllabus ..was overloaded and teaching tended towards giving a smattering of subjects instead of thorough teaching. The Bill proposed that two hours should be devoted to religious teaching! What was to go? -"he Bill should indicate what /must be 'dropped. In : a 25-hour, school ft week 'it was • not possible r ,. to. bring ftinftadditional instruction. .ftft ; TOO MATERIALISTIC. , _ :ft iJ ,- Mr.ftWl■•'■iLftGlartf 1 said tha : t;avgreat 'manyVere-dissaiisfie'd with themateri-; : alistic\'viewfof':',iife;.so generally taken; and'-s'troiiglyftheld ihat the Bible', should -be' part - of-school: study. . ftHo-agreed that tho. teaching; Of' the Bible.;.niUst hot ftbeeomefti a'ftn'after of .routinehTran examination^of' children, forftiiis'tance,. in.-Bible Xkio\vl'edge, was outft-of ■question—buti-.the Bible was :a' ve fy fine 'ifistrtimik't- which. ■ should b.o ..usedftinft a &6'r!aaniior. What the world most ['nVea'ea'- ! to?day was teaching in the I principles ftof Jesus Clirist. Parents of childre- i-attendiug schools where the ! -Nelson:system was in vogue supported; the System- wholeheartedly. The sys- ; tein : *ad- undoubtedly done a great deal. ofigOodj' but the time had como,when i_dre-';bf;'a v "good thing was wanted. It 'had'wbeenV said that tho work was essentially.-for the clergy and not £w the :t&;a'chefs, but with that he :di|g asre<?ttiftA-ny teacher who felt disinclin" ed toft give Bible teaching should, .Se: Mr. Combs, strongly. : obi : ject r tb'being called upon togiyeftsuch '■ie.s.6is"'-b_t' those who believed m the r yaluo : such lessons should h/aira.: the i opportunity, for no one ; was .bettei!'qualified' to give such lessons to children than those of .their teach.eiiftvwho were convinced of ..the value of j'such teaching. -..ft. ■:,:. '•''■'■',, ~ Dealing with .' theft question,: of ~ the overcrowded syllabus, Mr. that the advocates' of Bible teaching were not , .called to",, say .:what should go out; it was for them ,to.|irrge that that, which they considered of paramount importance should be put m the, syllabus and for the educational autho-: rities -ib.say what should be'dropped,; if' anything had.to be dropped.:. ;■ ,jg>: Ibxtension' or NELSON.'" YSTEM.; -Mis's J. Park said that already thoso teachers who. were accredited- by 'theiiv clergymen could give instruction under the Nelson, system,- and she considered that '"he Bill should have ben drawn up. to' extend 'thsit principle. -ft:, ft-'.ftft:' - Mr.'.'W. SykeS .'-supported the : views ■ ,■ .. :.;-, '-:'-. re'ma'rkecl that .there \va? : tpo great' pnft the-:fttiarfrVpf : tO'.aetftthoi,teaching s shoulder": the -responsibilities of., "thp-. home—in -Ihe children's, hands were jtheir teeth .were brushed, free free meals if ..the teachers offerdd- ityftahd now,, religious •teacliing.: Whether V.it was, that the ischobls . were ~ goijig: . ahead or the churches .were ■no,t:!goiag' ! ahead, it was; reriiarkablo -thatft'-'thore- should 'desire -that.- religious teaching ■ should; be' shouldered'-byftthose whose' : vocatipii: it was not., .'.Tlie Nelson: .system; wa' capable of great expansion, and.of: doft ing much more goodftthan ctrald theinp struetion by teachers;'given in many cases un\yillingly. ft -' TEACHERS NO : EI|HT TO-OBJECT. Mr.-G.Jones- his 1 ence :of the. Nelsons;system had., : been very .:.;At:.'i'Johhsonville' 95 percent.-.of thef parents had favoured Oho svsteni.- > Ho ! could'not ; s'ee -why anyone'who had-a belief ;in the/teachings of phrist,; could object to tho ...teaching ■ of religiouHn schools.' ,Ho did aiot think that teacbprs.had uiiyiright to.<say that tho Biblc,'.'shbul(l hotftbe taught in schools, batlie wouldftnot say by whom; ;i. leachci-'.'who did .iot'Sielievo in such teacliing '/should state :; f his reasons bo■forci beiiigccxewpled'.' ! ':■■",: -~-. .ft.'Mr. P. ftM; - Jacksonft-helU that-.fttho Bill was W'stoin provided scopujftfpr; tlio giving o'i.V : L'eligious;traiiuiig.:weM:il'fully-avail-ed: of. -'fhe Bill I wasft'oft indefinite. that: teachers'.could' not kno\vf,\vhiit -it wouldmeaii'lu .application-—U'AV'as':buying a pig in •ti".'po)i'oi:-'.!H.,w6uld|-;b.0.. inevitable t'hht individual ■'teachers would give theirown interpretations of Bible lessons; all would differ,.greatly or little, and.where was,,.the child to.' come 'in? .Character.building could be carried ou more .effectively by ethical teaching, with pcriiiaps illustrations from the Bible, than !b'v mere Bible readings and prayers. :, 'Mr. I. M. Pinfold said that the present Bill removed many of the former objections. In all that the teachers did there was something lacking, and that was the spirituality, that had been missing since 1907. With religious instruction as a part of school work the teachers could carry the child mind further towards a full and happy life.' Mr. .0. A. Banner, \vho was in the chair, said that ho had ■ had experiences of religious teaching in tho New South Wales schools, but ho could not agree that New Zealand children were any more religious 'l'ior one whit worse than the children of Now South Wales. To v largo uxtent religious teaching there depended' upon the inspector, 'and in sonic schools the books were never used. Tt had been said that, tho in'sl.niclion 'would "cost" "nothing,--"but ■ it would take up a twelfth of the week, ..anil., something : must bo debited, tu. il. Might not the introduction of religious training break up the present cduca-

1 tional system through donominalionalism? Ho considered the introduction dangerous. NO FAULT OP THE TEACHEK. Miss Magill said ttiat tho child in NwV Zealand vjas suffering .from a .waut of religious instruction, but that was not the fault of .the- teachers. The Nelson system offered ample scope and means could be found for its extension to all schools, thoso'teachers who wished to do so being given full opportunity to give religious instruction. She was afraid that under certain'circumstances a, teacher ,who asked' for '.exemption might not receive altogether fair treatment from those in control, who perhaps might hold ;extreme views. The child, she believed; required,more religious training, but' should not the churches see to it that religion so permeated the community that the child received religious training in the home? The motion expressing objection .to the proposals of the Bill was'carried by a large majority.''