EELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS,

Marlborough Express, Volume XXXI, Issue 106, 9 May 1896, Page 2

EELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS,

+ DISCUSSION IN AUCKLAND. [UNITED PBESS ASSOCIATION^ Auckland, May 8. At the Anglican Church Congress yesterday, a number of short papers on Religious Education were readj» Amongst them was one forwarded by Mr Theo. Cooper, who is at present m "Wellington attending the Court of Appeal. It was an elaborate protest against the introduction of the religious element into the public schools. Mr Cooper, who is an ex-member of the Auckland Education Board, urged that the worst thing that could happen to our children would be separation, |which would become manifest if Bible reading or religious instruotion were introduced with a conscience clause. What, he asked, would all this lead to ? He said emphatically — Denominationalism, State aid to private schools, and State aid to denominational schools. For his part, he could conceive no greater injury to the community than a destruction of the present system of Stato education and the erection of a system of denomin* ationalisra. He believed the vaßt majority of the people were against denominational education. In the discussion of the papers, Mr Templar claimed that denominational education, and that alone, would make their children Christian children. Mr Ua"y, (Chairman of the Education Board) believed that if this present agitation^ was jpursued it would end m the introduction of denominationalism, and it would have been better that it was never started. It would split up the schools. Every speaker and every paper read had missed the fact that religious instruction could now be given m the public . schools out of school hours. The Rev P. Walsh said that when m Taranaki he had been able to give religious instruction m sohools under the discipline of schools, and there was no disturbance with regard to conscience. In the Auckland Pro* vince he had not reoeived the same privilege. The Rev Mr Lush said that if they were m earnest they oould have what they professed to want either m the way of religious education m public sohools, or otherwise to have denominationalism.