RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 October 1944, Page 2

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

CONFERENCE DEADLOCK

CHRISTCHURCH, October 23. After spending Wednesday afternoon and the greater part of this morning on the subject of religion m education, the Education Conference found that it could make no recommendation. A motion was moved by Mr. A. L. Grant (Federation of Labour) that the conference reaffirm continued belief in, and support of, the present system of free secular and compulsory education in New Zealand. This opened a lively discussion.. .An amendment requesting the Minister of Education (Mr. Mason) to set up a consultative committee to investigate and report was lost by the narrow margin of 39 votes to 37. Many of the delegates refrained from voting. The discussion closed with the carrying of an amendment stating that'on the subject of religious education there was insufficient representative authority . and no sufficient growth of unity in the community for the conference to make any pronouncement or recommendation. The committee set up last Wednesday to bring down a report, sat for many hours and finally submitted to die conference a recital of the present position and the working of the Nelson system. Without making any recommendation, the committee suggested in connection with a proposal to legalise the Nelson system that, before any legislation was enacted, a conference should be called, by the Minister, of representatives of the Education Department, education boards, the New Zealand Educational Institute, and the Churches. This conference, it was suggested, should consider the form of any proposed legislation, the determination of an agreed syllabus of instruction, and the method of accrediting instructors.