"NOT IRRELIGIOUS.”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 176, 12 July 1911, Page 11

"NOT IRRELIGIOUS.”

SOUTH AUSTRALIA’S SCHOOLS. Adelaide, July 5. The sixteenth annual conference of the South Australian School Teachers’ Union opened to-day. In his presidential address. Mi. C. Bronner combated the charge that the State schools were irreligious and godless, and that the Bible was banished from thenprecincts. With all the emphasis of which he was capable he stigmatised the charge as a base libel. (Applause). Although the Bible might not be read during the hours set apart for secular instruction, its spirit prevaded every lesson and coloured all their works. Could schools be fairly classed as godless or irreligious when reference to the Diety abounded in poetry books, reading books and the moral lessons? Daily the children might be heard to raise their sweet voices in “ Onward Christian Soldiers,’’ “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.” and other well-known hymns. He claimed that they had in the South Australian schools the spirit of true religion, if not the letter, and some thing trenchant had been written bearing on that subject nearly 2060 -sears ago. What great opportuni-

ties teachers had of inculcating a spirit of lowly reverence in observation and nature study lessons, where, while not omitting the scientific explanations of natural phenomena and the wondreful processes of animal and plant life, they might lead the child to trace through it all and behind it all the hand of an all-wise and all-loving Father. (Applause). Reference was made with regretto the absence of the Director of Education (Mr. Williams) and Chief Inspector Maughan, both of whose health had been undermined by the strain of work in the Education Department. The former is in Queensland and the latter in England. It was resolved to send them messages of goodwill from the conference .