The Hawera Star WEDNESDAY. MAY 4, 1927. PROPAGANDA IN SCHOOLS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 4 May 1927, Page 4

The Hawera Star

WEDNESDAY. MAY 4, 1927. PROPAGANDA IN SCHOOLS.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock in Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa. Eltliam. Ma.ngatoki, Kaponga, Alton. Hurleyville, Patea, Waveriey, Mokoia. Whakamara. Ohangai. Meremere. Fraser Road and Ararat a

The statement made by the Minister of Education regarding the request of the Bible-in-Schools League for permission to take a plebiscite of the parents upon this much-debated question absolves him from any charge of partisanship. It appears now that the Minister was shown the proposed form of voting paper and asked if he saw anything objectionable about it, and his reply was to the effect that personally he had no objection to the form of the ballot paper, but, he was careful to point out, the requests for permission to compile a roll of parents from the schools’ registers and to take a poll of the parents on the subject of Biblc-in-schools were matters upon which only.the education boards could decide. That statement relieves the Minister of any responsibility, for his approval was given only as an individual who knew that ho had no authority to eommit the Government to anything in that respect. In view of the Hon. Mr Wright’s explanation, the statement, “This voting paper is approved by the Minister of Education,” is misleading, and it cannot, in fairness, be retained. But the reprinting of the ballot paper will not remove the objection which may be raised to the proposed . plebiscite without going into the rights and wrongs of the League’s case. There are many people who, though they neither approve nor condemn the case made out by the supporters of the Religious Exercises in Schools Bill, would object very strongly to the schools being used for the purpose proposed by the League. At present persons of all shades opinion send their children to the State schools to bo educated, and they have every right to object to the suggestion that the schools, the children who arc sent to them, and the staff and organisation built up by the State out of public •money, should be used to further any •particular views on a question which, though it touches upon education, also goes outside that province and brings in the subject of religion. The Minister has stated that he has been advised that at least two education boards have refused to grant the League access to the school registers for the purpose desired; this experience should be repeated in every- case where similar applications are made to education boards, and undoubtedly will be, if the members of other boards have a similar sense of responsibility to the whole of the community they are elected to serve.