RELIGIOUS TEACHING IN SCHOOLS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 28 June 1911, Page 2

RELIGIOUS TEACHING IN SCHOOLS

GENERAL ASSEMBLY' REPORT. (United Pauss Associavion.) DUKEDIN, Tuesday. At the last m'eeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church a committee w r as appointed' to prepare '»* report on the New South Wales system of religious instruction in public schools, and send down such report for the consideration of Presbyteries and sessions within six months, the Presbyteries to consider same and report to the next Assembly. The report prepared, by the committee is to the following effect: — They approve of section 7 of the NewSouth Wales Public Instruction Act, and ai-e of opinion, that selected passages of Scripture should bo used in the NewZealand public sehoo'ls as a basis of instruction in morals.

That instruction in Biblical history, language, and literature should be in eluded' in the course of secular instruction in these schools.

That, for these purposes, the Minister for Education should be requested to provide a book or books of selected readings from Scripture, and to authorise their use in- the public schools. That the instruction in connection with these books should be strictly non-sec-tarian. The committee do not recommend the use of the books authorised for use in she New South Wales public schools. The committee cannot'-recommend the adoption of the provisions in section made .for religious instruction by visiting teachers. The time for secular instruction is .necessarily restricted to four hours dlurin>g each day, and the provision that the children of different religious persuasions shall receive religious instruction on different days is unnecessary,, and will make for disorganisation of the secular course, and the weakening of discipline. The committee have it on. good authority that these provisions are not now. enforced in New South Wales. The committee recommend that, in schools, where provision is made for religious instruction by one or more visiting religious teachers on one day a woek, a period of not more than 45 minutes snail be devoted „to the religious instruction of the children: whose parents do not object to such instruction, and that the necessaiy classrooms shall be placed at the disposal of such teachers and chil-di-en. That, when so desired by the visiting teachers, children of different religious denominations may be grouped for religious instruction. ' A representative conference of clergymen will be held- in Christchurch this week to consider the question of religious instruction in the public schools. TROUBLE AT TIMiARTJ. ALLEGED USE OF THE STRAP. TIMARU, Tuesday. The religious lessons system in the Town, Schools is not running smoothly. In the, main school the. Secular Education League has been given a new grievance to work on, as it seems that a lady teacher a girl for not attending Bible lessons. This was through a m.isuhderstanding, and the parents accepted the. teacher's explanation, but subsequently (resented- a passage in a Setter I by the headmaster, and demand a full inquiry.