WELFARE OR DECAY

Evening Star, Issue 18534, 17 January 1924, Page 10

WELFARE OR DECAY

TO THE EDITOIi. Sir, —I read with interest the'New Year message by Sir Robert Stout, which appeared in the ‘ Star ’of January 7. As a native of Dunedin, I have naturally been interested in Sir Robert’s career. As a youngster I reraemlier an, exciting election fin 1875, I think it was), Wifyen Macandrew, Stout, and Larnadi headed the poll and became the three Dunedin M.H.R.s. The burning question in those days was Centralism and Anti-Centralism, Sir Robert Stout is one of our intellectual giants. He has advocated and helped to carry out many important reforms. And yet this New Year message is disappointing Certainly the writer preaches that wo must continue to progress, that we must fight against evil and against whatever tends towards national decay. We must consider the laws regulating the sale of alcohol; the immigration laws; laws of .marriage and divorce; relations of Labor and Capital; distribution of town and country population, etc. Certainly these are all important questions. If we study these and similar questions, and boar in mind their great influence on the progress of our ra.oe, then we shall advance. But, “ facilis est descensus Averni.” There are grave dangers of national decay; it is easier to degenerate than to rise. Wc mast adjust ourselves to our present civilisation if we are to remain a great people. All this is excellent. Sir Robert has given serious consideration to many of the evils of our time. His message is calculated to make thoughtless people more careful in their living. But our friend has marred his thoughtful sermon by brushing aside emphatically what many consider would bo one important help towards true progress ; the reading of the Bible in our schools and its use as a basis for lessons in moralitv.

It would take 100 much space, sir. to reply in detail to this part of Sir Rotart’s essay. He lias drawn several red herrings across tho track—questions of Higher Criticism, tho inspiration of the Bible, Fundamentalists in United States, evolution, and others.- I shall confine myself to one or two aspects only. The Rev. Dr Reiman is quoted as saying ; “The Ne.w Zealand soldiers in life and conduct were the best soldiers at (he war.’’ His opinion was endorsed by leading men. “Wo therefore,” continues Sir Robert, “have conclusive evidence, that the moral training given to our young people in our public schools is of the highest character.” Yet the whole strain of the article is the danger of national decay (which evidently includes loose morals and such vices as drunkenness and

gambling). Conversely our friend emphasises the difficulty of making real progress, He quotes approvingly Professor MacDougall : “Gan, we by taking thought, and action guided by thought, , prevent or indefinitely postpone that do- ' dine of tho carve of civilisation which : seems even now to threaten us? \V!«vtstops should we take'/” Now, if wo put these two paragraphs together it amounts to this : Our young people are receiving tho highest moral training, yet the curve of civilisation is declining, or threatening to decline. I I contend, sir, that those of our children who are not becoming acquainted with our English Bible arc certainly not receiving tho highest moral training which can be given them. No child’s education can be considered complete unless be baa some knowledge of our greatest English classic—King James’s version of tho Bible. No child-can fully understand and appreciate Shakespeare, our greatest poet and dramatist, unless he knows something of the Book from which Shakespeare drew much of his inspiration. I am writing under a nom do plume, but I have no great wish, to conceal my name. I am a primary school teacher cf over 50 years’ experience, and have considered this question from every point of view, and as far as my own school is concerned have solved it. At 9.30 every Friday morning either my assistant or 1 take a lesson based on a chapter of the Bible, or some Bible story. Nearly all the children aro present. Those whose parents do not wish them to attend do work in another room; they are- certainly not allowed to play cricket while their chums aro at lessons. I mention this advisedly, because this unfair handicap is sometimes placed upon classes taken by ministers fqr Bible instruction. If the average boy is given a choice of moral instruction or cricket, we know which he would choose. This class was arranged with the approval of the Canterbury Education Board and the local School Committee, After about three years of this system, I am quite sure that tho moral tone of the whole district is higher than it was before the class was instituted. There have been no difficulties whatever, sectarian or otherwise. At least four different denominations aro represented in the school. I am quite sure that tho boys and girls will be better men and women for it, and that they will be hotter citizens. One more point. Sir Robert says ; “It has 'been said by a few of our people that our school system must bo put an end to, and the control of our children . . . to make them good citizens . , must be handed over (a church organisations.” In plain English, this is nonsense. In my school the New Zealand system goes on as before in every other respect. As for the church (or churches), no representative of any church has ever offered any criticism; all have approved. We yip not worry tho children about Higher Criticism, Fundamentalists, Hebrew legends, and different ways of interpreting certain parts of tho Bible. But we do find that even a five-year-old can understand and learn from the twenty-third Psalm, and can follow with breathless interest tho parables of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan. Aro there any higher moral lessons than these? Again, what harm can it possibly do a child to have its attention riveted on such passages as Job xxviii., verses 20 and 23 ;• “Whence then cometh wisdom, and where is the place of understanding? And unto man Cod said : Behold tho fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.”—l am, etc., January 16, Sigmat.