RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIX, Issue 13114, 30 April 1903, Page 4

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN SCHOOLS.

The delegates from the various Bible-reading-in-Schools Associations opened their Conference in Wellington rather 'unhappily 'by deciding, to exclude t'ha representatives of the Press from their meetings. They would have shown .more diplomacy, we think, if they had admitted the reporters and invited the fullest discussion of their proceedings. Many people are inclined to imagine that the advocates of religious instimction aro making an insidivous attack upon the national system of education, and their suspicions will not be nllaved by an attempt to withhold information from the public. The. delegates have, however, r.ow made their attitude, perfectly clear, and there is no need to suppose that they aro inspired by anything but an honest desire to repair what they 'believe to; be a defect in tho curriculum of the public schools. They intend to adopt the Victorian scheme of Scripture lessons as the basis' of their text 'book, and, wben this is compiled, to approach the Premier.with a request to have the whole question.' submitted to a referendum. The delegates' real difficulties will begin with the work of compilation, but tho Protestant ohurclres have lately shown some disposition to sink their minor differences, and we may hope that by this time they are far enough advanced to agree upon the passages of scripture that should be included in the test book. The Roman Catholics will, of courscj take no part in a anovemenfc which offers no solution of the religious problem'from their point of view. They would find in 'Bible-reading only an additional reason" for demanding grants for their own schools. We presume the Government will take soma means to make the contents of the text book generally known before submitting it for the approval of the electors; bvs we confess we!| cannot see, for the moment, how this can be done without very considerable expense. Each School Committee and Public Library should receive two or three copies at least six months before the cay fixed for the poll, and this would' involve a large edition of o, book that might never be required. But it will be time enough, to discuss details of this kind when the churches ha.ve surmounted the larger obstacles. Mr Seddon, when speaking to the deputation from, the Conference which, waited upon him yesterday, seemed to prefer that there should be no special legislation to meet the present agitation, but that a Referendum Bill should be .passed during the approaching session providing the machinery for the submission of any question to the electors. He did not say how he proposed to bring the Legislative Council, which rejected the last Referendum Bill by a ■practically unanimous; vote, to accept such a measure, but if this difficulty can be overcome it would certainly, be better to'deal with the matter in the way be suggested. In any case, a referendum on the question i of Bible-reading in schools should be taken at the time of the next general election. It will be well for. all concerned, parents, teachers and scholars, when the present controversy is finally settled.