BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 31 December 1927, Page 5

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

‘ ‘ VALUE ABLE PROGRESS. ’ ’

ATTITUDE OF PARENTS

LEAGUE WILL CARRY ON

(BY TELEGRAPHY-PRESS ASSOCIATION.) DUNEDIN, Dec. 28.

At. a service held at Knox Church, the Rev. E. O. Blamires, Dominion organising secretary of the J3ible-in-Schools League, said that a retrospective glance over the past year’s activities showed that despite the in- x ability to secure an alteration in i the Education Act in Parliament very valuable progress had been made.

He claimed that it had been demonstrated that the system of education that allowed no reference to Biblical material was unpopular. No adequate explanation of 'Christinas could be given in primary schools, although to those in New Zealand the life of Jesus was the central fact of history. There was nothing more unpopular in New Zealand to-day than the entire seeularity of the primary school system. Roman Catholics and Protestants alike denounced it.

During the year a widespread effort had been made to discover, the attitude of parents. In all tne principal centres parents were requested to vote for or against Bible-in-Schools. Between 32,000 and 33,000 votes had been recorded, each vote representing one family. Otago had been the most thoroughly worked. Every school in the area had been listed, and 86 per cent, of the votes were favourable. In Canterbury, a large area, more than double the number of votes were recorded. The Auckland area returned about the same as Canterbury, and in Canterbury, Auckland, and Wellington over 80 per cent, of the votes were favourable. Even in the least fawourable province, Taranaki, 70 per cent, were favourable, so that it could be stated without a shadow of doubt that parents were desirous of seeing the Bible in sehools throughout the Dominion. 'To date 25, 478 families votes had been received in favour, and only 599'5 against. So much was said these days about the rights of minorities that it had become necessary to contend that majorities also had rights. ■ It was passing strange that the valuable material found in the Bible could not be used in any way in primary schools. The league was more determined than ever to carry on in the assurance that its policy was educationally sound.-