ENGLISH EDUCATIONAL THOUGHTS.

Evening Star, Issue 12867, 17 July 1906, Page 3

ENGLISH EDUCATIONAL THOUGHTS.

TO THI KIHTOK. ! Sir,—Those who study the dialectics of English educational induction must be struck with the respect our free, secular, and compulsory system is receiving in the British Parliament. One of the strongest opponents (Mr Wyndham) to Mr Birrell frankly admit* that to preserve the principle of religious equality the State ought to be neutral. This is what we say and' do in New Zealand. Why is the State not neutral? Because ©cclesiasticism objects, and has always objected, to the undoubted right of the psoplo saying that no public nioney shall be paid for the teaching of distinctive religion. To detail the present system of elementary schools in England is too complicated for a letter, but the main idea is the abolition of religious tests for all teachers, a system of local control, and the abolition of State aid to church schools (Anglican, Roman Catholic, Wesleyan, Jewish, etc.) after January 1, 1908. The end, however, is not yet, because such a collision between the lay authority—the civil magistrate—and the ecclesiastical can only be settled by a direct appeal to the people. Anglicansand Roman Catholics will be found acting and voting together, because the Church of England is now approximating towaids the doctrines and principles of the Roman Catholic Church. This k> one of the strongest reasons why the Nonconformista at the last election fought with an earnestness never exhibited before. They have some 200 members in the Britisii Parliament. Is the Bill a Nonconioimity challenge to the churches? We all of us have learnt our elementary knowledge (those fortunate enough) of religion at our mother's knees. It ia unfortunate, then, that mothers have no vote in England, so that they may determine the methods whereby the seed for the sowing of which they are mainly responsible shall be duly and efficiently cultivated. Why does eccles,. sticism always object to women having -a voice and vote in educational and church matters? Nonconformity does not do so. Then, again, many say it is impossible to teach young children morality without religion, but this is a fallacy, because our criminal statistics prove the contrary. There can be no violation of religious equality, common justice, and civic equality, nor an endowment of Nonconformity teaching, by adopting the principle that all education provided from the public funds should be purely secular.—l am, etc, F-M. Julv 16.