BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Evening Star, Issue 7286, 10 August 1887, Page 3

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

TO TUB KDITOR.

Sir,— The above ie a subject on which a great deal baa been written lately, and, aa far aa 1 can learn, its chief supporters are the clergy and those occupying a prominent position in Church affairs. That they would be satisfied if the Bible were introduced into our public schools Ido not for a moment believe. It is the complete extinction cf our present system, and the establishment of denomiaationuiism, they wautnothing more nor lees; but it does not tuit their purpose to say so plainly, knowing well that the people would resolutely oppote a change so undesirable. But they have a shrewd idea that if Cibie-reading formed part of our school teaching, it would be tbe insertion of the thin end of the wedge towards the accomplishment of their o' ject. Wo know from tho history of the past that when the clergy had the entire control ot the education of the young, a large majority of the people could nriiher read nor write, though they had ample moans at their disposal for educational and religious purposes. Ignorance and immorality, lawlessness and crime, persecution and oppression, prevailed to a fearful extent. Even so late is tho eighteenth century daring robbetics \vc:e committed in the streets ol London in open daylight. If we read the works of Fielding ot Smollett - and they arc general ycon i lered a faithful i tfl xol the age in which they lived—we bavo reason to congratulate ourselves that we live in an ago which, in comparison to theirs, is purity itself Charles U ckens exposed many great abusi’s connected with tho educational institutions of bid time. Let denominationalisiu be established in New Zealand, uni tho evi'g which he so powcrful'y denounced would prevail here also Before concluding, I shall give you my experienoo of two years’ attendance at a denominational school in Scotland upwards of thirty years ago—just previous to our departu o for Otago. At that time it was a general belief that working people's children did not require more education than a mere knowledge of reading and writing-a belief that no doubt had its origin and was fostered and encouraged by the ruling classes, to suit their own selfish and ambitious purposes. Be that as it may, a scant knowledge ol those two subjects was all that I bad the oppoitunity of ita'ning, Tbo master paid very little attention to the poorer class of children, his time being chiefly occupied in socking to advance those of well-to-do parents. And I have often seen when a boy of the latter class had committed an offence he was let off witli a mild reprimand; but, in the case of a poor b. y, he was punished severely and sometimes brutally. Some of your correspondents have mentioned a practice common where Bibles were used in the schools they attended, of tho senior boys, viz , hunting up indelicate p.is j ageo and showing them to the boys and giris ot their c ase. I am sorry to say that this was one of the chief diversions in tho school I attended, and one, you will admit, not likely to produce favo able results in their future life and characttr —I am, etc., J.R. Dunedin, August 10.