RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

Lyttelton Times, Volume CVIII, Issue 13000, 16 December 1902, Page 3

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

THE BOYS' HIGH SCHOOL. FURTHER DISCUSSION BY THE BOARD. The Canterbury College Board of Governors yesterday again considered the system of giving religious instruction at the Boys' High School. At the meeting of the Board last month, Mr C. E. Bevan-Brown, headmaster of the school, was examined, and it was decided to express appreciation of the services of the Principals of the High Schools, in their efforts on behalf of the religious and moral well-being of the scholars, bub, at the same time, to point out to them that school arrangements for any subjects outside the curriculum, and imparted out of school hours, must be sanctioned by the Board. The subject was brought up yesterday by a letter from the headmaster, as follows :—-"The Chairman of the Board of Governers.—Dear Sir, —I beg to ask leave to continue the Scripture classes next year; the time to be half-an-hour before the opening of school, viz., 9 to 9.30 a.m. ; attendance to be voluntary, and the teaching unsectarian, as bsfore. The Rev Canon Averill and Rev A. Julius have resigned, and I have not had time to complete arrangements, but I think it important that the parents should know that classes will be continued, as several of them are anxious on that point. I have written to the Rev J. Mackenzie, of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, but fear he is away, and has not yet received my letter. I have had a promise of assistance, if needed, from the Rev R. T. Matthews, curate of Sfc Luke's, and also a gratifying offer from a Canterbury 'College student, an old boy, who spoke for himself and the Students' Christian Union. I propose to obtain help from some of the above sources for two of the four classes, and to take the other two myself, as. last year. I should like to take all; the classes myself, as I did some time ago, but at present this is impossible. I have not yet had an opportunity of publicly thanking Canon Averill .and the Rev A. Julius for their assistance, and should lnive been.glad if the thanks had come from the Board. It is no slight matter to attend regularly for two years, at 9 a.m., twice a week, to teach a class of boys; and I now wish to record my gratitude to these two gentlemen for their valuable and ungrudging assistance, and for.so faithfully carrying out the syllabus and programme of unsectarian teaching which I gave them, and which they preferred should be drawn up by myself. I trust the Board will allow me to continue the classes.—C. E. Bevan-Brown."

Miss Gibson, Lady Principal of the Girls' High School, also -wrote, as follows : "The Registrar, Canterbury College.—■ Dear Sir, —I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of Nov. 27, conveying the resolution of the Board of Governors with regard to subjects outside the school curriculum, and imparted out of hours. I will be careful to see that the Board's wishes in this matter are complied, with in the future. —I have the honour to "be, Sir, yours obediently, Mary V. Gibson." j Mr T. W. Adams moved that the letters should be referred to the College Committee, for consideration and a report. It was a matter in which the committee took great interest. The thanks of the Board to those who had assisted were conveyed in. a resolution passed at a previous meeting of the Board. Mr G. W. Russell said that the College Committee was the proper body to consider the-matter, but the Board ought to have the right to say whether or not . itwould adopt the recommendations in the report. He seconded the imotion. Mr J. L. Scott moved as an amendment that the request of the headmaster should be granted. He said he did so not hi a spirit of discourtesy to the College Committee. The matter had been before the Board for some time, and members should come to some conclusion. Mr H. Beswick seconded the amendment. He thought that the headmaster was the best judge as to the personnel of those who gave instruction. It would be very unfortunate if the names of clergymen had to bo submitted to the College Com-* mittee, or. to the Board. Mr W. H. Montgomery said that if the committee considered the matter it would be able to lay down tome rule for future guidance. There might be applications from other denominations besides the Anglican Church. . Perhaps the committee could receive the applications and report! to the Board. It was all very well to say that.the teaching had not been denomma-l tional. It had been given entirely by the Church of England. Mr M'Kenzie had not been teaching, and did nob' propose to> teach. It'was likely to continue to be con-' ducted by one denomination. If an application was considered from one denomination it should be considered from all denominations. The committee should carefully consider what was to be done with the applications, and lay down a, general' rule. As to thanking the teachers'who had given instruction, he did not think that was the Board's function ; it merely gave facilities and the use of the buildings, and it had no responsibility. Mr T. S, Foster said that in attempting) to provide for purely n3'pothetical cases,, there was a danger of overlooking the real interests of the school. Mr C. C. Corfe said he was astounded) that the matter should be brought up at all. On "coming back'to Christchurch after a prolonged absence, some time ago, he was struck with the marvellous progress, noticeaibte in the general tone of the boys at the High School. In the cleverest possible manner, Mr Bevan-Brown had overcome one of the greatest difficulties that beset secondary schools. In Queensland, the speaker had been master of an institution of much the same stamp as the Christchurch; Boys' High School, and for over! ten years lie had had difficulties to contend with. Mr Bevan-Brown had overcome similar difficulties to the satisfaction of the! parents ; and now the Board was laying) down rules for the headmaster's guidance, although the parents had not asked it to do anything The Board was taking action, not so much in the interests of the school, as on account of very theoretical ideas. One* member of the Board had referred to the views of a High Church clergyman who had taught in the school. The speaker ~ivspecled that gentleman very highly for having taken the classes, and for 'teaching Christianity without bringiii"- into his instruction his private views. ° After conducting the classes sue-

cessfuliy for about fifteen years,. Mr BevanBrown now asked if he might continue the classes. Was tho Board now going to interfere with the master, because some members thought that, theoretically, the tiling was not right? What possible harm, could be done by writing a courteous note to Mr 1 Bevan-Brown giving him an absolutely free hand? In tho interests of the school, and in recognition of tho marvellous way in which Mr iiovan-Brown had conducted the classes, he urged that the motion should be withdrawn, and the amendment should be made the substantive motion. Mr T. S. ' Foster said that the' fact ■ of dealing with the present application would not debar tho Board from dealing with future applications. The head master ought to be in a position to say whether or not the classes ought to be continued. Ho ought. to be able .to insert a notice to 'that effect in the prospectus. Mr G. W. Russell said if that were done, and ■ as the prospectus, was issued by the Board, it could .hardly be said that the Board had nothing to do with the classes. He again urged that the .committee should draw up a report. The recent discussion had hardly settled the question/ He maintained that much interest was,taken in the question, not only, by parents with children at the school, but also by the general public. He would not refer to the question as to whether or not any particular church had a prior right to the. instruction, .but he pointed out that the clergy of the Wesleyan Church, for instance, had a. right to be considered. He also jiointed out that the Lady Principal had made no application. That might mean that she did not intend to have any religious instruction at all, which would be unfortunate. He thought that the College Committee might approach Miss Gibson, to ascertain what she intended to do. Mr T. S. Foster supported the amendment. From all quarters he haid Wen assured that the moral teaching in the .school had been for the benefit of the boys. Mr Bevan-Brown was perfectly right, and no other person was precluded from giving religious instruction. Mr Bevan-Brown's work entitled him to the Board's gratitude. ' Mr C. Lewis said that the Board should make up its mind; what it was going to do. It could either appoint a) paid teacher, or let things go on as at present. He thought that the Board had a great deal to do with the parents. , • He was quite content to rest in the knowledge'that if anything went wrong at the classes . the Board would hoa.r of it as soon as possible. He thought that '-Mr Bevatn-Brown should ba allowed to make his own arrangements. Mr Adams said that many of Mr Corfe's remarks did not apply to the school at present, as if was only recently that Mr Bevan-Brown had obtained assistance from clergymen; Parents had complained. Bishop Julius : That is news to me. Mr Adams said that Bishop Julius was not in a position to hear them. The speaker had always opposed religious instruction in the public schools, and always would be opposed to it. The. Chairman put the question—" That all the words after the word 'that' in the motion should be struck out." This was agreed to by 9 to 5, and Mr Adams's motion was lost. Discussion then took place on the amendment, which became the substantive motion. Dr Envin, who had come in late, asked if the headmaster would be given a free ■hand. The Chairman (Mr A. E. G. Rhodes): Practically. Dr Erwin: As. in the past then, the whole opportunity will be given to the Church of England? The public will make itself heard in that case. Mr J L- Scott said that any denomination might apply for leave to give instruction. Mr Russell asked whether there were to be any limitations,' or whether the whole thing was to be handed over to the master. Mr Bevan-Brown was a lay member of the Church of England (and proposed to utilise the services of a gentleman from St Luke's. Why should not other denominations he brought in?. The Presbyterian and the Methodist were both numerically strong, and the latter was absolutely ignored. Bishop Julius said he protested as strongly as possible against any suggestion of the Church of England exercising undue power or influence in the school. Certain members of his communion had been asked to do the work, and they had done it loyally and faithfully. If they had done it merely as churchmen, then teaching would have gone very much further. It would have been very different from what it was. They asked the head master for a syllabus. They conformed to that syllabus, and' kept their teaching within its limits. He did not believe the parents had anything whatever to do with it. The Board had interfered with the classes which had been carried on for a number of years, with, manifest advantage to the school and the ■■' children. Tho teachers who . had lately been giving religious instruction 'had resigned, and were not likely to start again under the circumstances. Mr Bevan-Brown 1 had become acquainted with' the mind, of the Board, which appeared'to be that he should go further afield; instead of asking for assistance from mm whom he knew, he would have to get those whom he did not know, j provided they did the work regularly, I which they did not always do. Understanding that, the speaker thought that the matter might fairly and reasonably be left in the master's hands. It was not at nil ;

likely that he wouid satisfy himself witH Church of England teachers in the present circumstances. H« might s;ek the assistance of students in the College, who had professed their readiness to do something. If Mr Mackenzie could not- help, doubtless Mr Bevan-Brown could find someone else from cne or other of the denominations. If tne'Board took up tho task of dealing with applications, and weighing the numerical position of each denomination, it would simply end in wrecking the classes, which had been of very great value to the' institution. He did not care one straw if every teacher at the school was a Presbyterian o» a Wesleyan. There would not be one word . from him on that score; but for. God's sake, and for the sake of the children, let the thing be left in the hands of the master, what he had so well in the past years he would continue to do much better thai the Board. Mr Scott's motion, that the request oi the head master should be granted, was agreed to. -_' .