BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXX, Issue 15041, 8 July 1909, Page 9

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

MINISTERS AND EDUCATION BOARD. The Bible in .schools question wa.s again before the Education Board yester<lhv, being raised by n letter from the Rev J. Mackenzie, who, on behalf ol the Ministers' Association, forwarded a statement prepared by tin* ministers oi various denominations sitting in conference on tho subject of tho Bible in schools. Tho chairman, Mr C. A. (•• Hardy, M.P., said that although tho letter was verv long it broke no new ground, and ho 'did uofc »co that anything further could be done. , Mr C. 11. Opie moved, and it was seconded by Dr Hight, that the lotter should lie received. Mr J-. Jamiosoii said ho could not agroo with tho motion. As chairman of tho East Christchurch School C.'ommitleo ho desired to ask tho chairman if the committee would bo within its rights in ashing a minister to come to tho school next Monday morning. The chairman: You would bo quite. within your rights if you did not do it during the time which the Board says shall be given to tho ordinary instruction.

Mr Jamioson: Well, we, arc going to ask a minister to como to our schools from 8.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. Tho school opens at nine, but if they aro not through with tho religious in»trjuction bv that time wo will go 011 till 0.30.

The chairman said he hoped that no member of the Board would ever bo considered a.-i doing anything disloyal to l ho' Board. }lr Jamirson; Would wo be within our rights? Tho chairman: You must see your lawvejw. 1 am not going to advise you. Mr H W. Peryman suggested that the motion was rather bald, and some reasons should go with it- He moved. as :i,u amendment that the report should be referred to tho Appointments Committee for consideration and report to tho Board.

Dr Flight said 1 hat. if tho letter throw any additional light on the subject ho would not object to tho amendment/ but the facts disclosed in tho letter bad been fully discussed, at tho previous meeting. Mr 1". \V. Adams said it was undesirable to po again to the committee. Mr Opio said that ho quito agreed with Dr Bight. Tho Board had been asked a simple question, and had replied simply, leaving out the religious or tho legal aspect of th© matter. It bad been said that the Board was acting unfairly and unjustly to the children in its schools, and lie desired to answer that charge. Tho members of the Board had been guided by their experts, by their own observation and knowledge, and by the results in other parts of the world ill regard to the time allowed for primary .education, and had eonip to tho conclusion that fivo hours was the minimum time neccssarv to overtake the work in tho primarv' schools. That being so, it would bo unfair to dock tho time by thirty minutes or an hour. The In-spector-General, who had just return-

od from a trip to the Old Country, waa of opinion that the timo was too short, and that the day must bo lengthened to make room for further subjects. Bight through the letter iron, the ministers there was v an indication that tho Beard was apparently hostile 1o religious instruction. That was not .v>. Mr Opie went en to say thai the. Roman Catholic were dealing with the. question with a great deal ol satisfaction to themselves, and he tools it as .1 distinct compliment to the. Board that it did not hear much of the claims of that denomination at present. Tins was because of tho just and fair way in which ihe, Board had dealt with the question. The applicants in the present ease w-iv goatl«mcn of distinction, and the Boara admired the stand they had taken, although ri"t approving of it. Tho position _ was much more favourable to tho ministers than they seemed to think. There was lie reason why tho committee should not give permission to tho Ministers' Association to hold religious services from 9 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. Of course, the Board had it from its legal advisers that it had power to fix the time of starting instruction in schools. That did not lie with the committees. ' In '•ases where three hours were given in tho morning and two in the afternoon the minister might have half an hour after school hours. Mr Opie added that the Board had -always shown an atti-tude-of encouragement to religious instruction, und if tho ministers took advantage, of their present 'opportunities the position was not one of very groat difficulty. The chairman said that the clergymen were more serious in getting the half-hour than in teaching the children, and where there was a will there was a. way. aue Board in its last report had approved of religious instruction, and had asiied teachers and committees to help, the clergymen when they wished to attend the schools. But it was the Board* duty to- see to secular education, and not religious instruction, and if the clergymen desired to instruct the children,'let them do it; tho schools were open to them, and the Board, for its part, sincerely hoped they would b< successful. At ar— rate the education system was secular, and the Board must adhere to it as such. The ministers had not broken new ground, but they were in earnest iii the matter .and believed they were on the right lines. Ho would support the amendment, because he thought that when persona were in earnest the Board should listen to. them every timo they approached it. If the Board, had previously done wrong it could then change its opinion, and if it had done right, confirm it. Ho approved of tho position tho Board had taken up at 'it« previous meeting, but ho disagreed with tho statement/ that the schools might lose anything. The system of education was secular, and tho Board had to administer the Act as it was, without endeavouring to alter it. The motion was carried by six rotea to three.