SECULAR EDUCATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 7 April 1926, Page 3

SECULAR EDUCATION

“WHY SHOULD WE CHANGE?” O.F ' r.L'i'.'AEA, tom of t-ducat toll in our State sole >ls ,1 ml a pi edict inn > •!’ serious injury if Lillie reading should lie intre.ilueeil by I lie luil that the lion. 1.. M. Isitt. MJ..C, hail iii l oll ei 1 1 liel< ai- I'arllaineiil. were the 10.-uling features of an address hv Si,- 11 f •In.- it Stout at Auekhunl, .«jivs iL ■ Si a.. Sir Ii > I tert. speaking Inin a mitltijili eiiv i.l viewpoint! as a former school master. lawyer. I’tirliatneiilarian. I'riine .Minisl-r. a iii I C'liiif .Inslice rrealjod the principal events in our i-iluiatii.il sv.-.ti :n sun i tin- early days ul So George I IreY. lie HUllle a. point ' ‘ H" iai ■; that in )t>77 I lie pinm-i-rs of the present, secular system were nposed to ti:i(.- 1 1i11;_r of religion in the schools. ■Why s 1 1ou 1 1 1 tin- State In-come a re li-'li us 11 aele-r now .' in- aski-il. Aon },. i e a - i eat umtihcr i I sects in New /eaianil with liilten-nl religious views ate.l uuahle to agree with i-lher . I Ins prop- •- a I IS le.-illy • a Hint', upon tin- State to a, t a- 111 illlvler pi eaeln-i and priest If ihe parent:-, limit, it paper that tin'llchildren .should he taught religion, I<-t thc-tn teach it. 1. In? m reive.'.' (Hear, heal).

NOT TURNED OUT SO HAD'

"] assure you that, the New Zealand (hildien, brought up under the secular svstem. have ml turned out so bad as tho.-;e lurin-d out under other systems. '! lie object of our social life slmuld he in make us h.vc each c'.ber. Would religious eunt rovei sy in our comuiuty promoti- love ? flow many people have been deslci.-ycd because cl' this continual disagreement among the people oil religious grounds 1 \\ hv introduce il now' It is not necessary. 1 ask for some evidence to show that the children brought up in the secular schools nri ' nf, t . so good as those brought up in religious schools. W 1 y should the act that has worked so well since 1877 he changed 111 w '! Can vi.u suggest that reading a prayer ur a ptirt. of the Scriptures is going to work any miracle or do any good to tin- children attending our

: --hinds7 It will hring liouhle in edetiat ion. will stir up strife amour; the tiaehers and among the people. Surely that is not the Inst way to get iovo in our midst. Don't iet us set iqi quarrels. It we allow this we are doing an injury loijtir eliihlieii. our Stale and our country timt might lake years and years to-

, opair.'' (Applause). In sttlipoH of his claim that New Zealand children hud turned out belter than other children. Sir Robert stated that the number of New Zealanders over 20 were 60.99 per cent of imr prisoners . With English. Scotch. Irish and Australian peoples in New Zen lan* tin- proportion of prisoners was in every ease greater than the proportion of jmpulal ion. EXAMPLE OF DEI! SOLDIERS New Zealanders stood higlier than any other people in the matter of morality. Our ‘(.'kln-vs were equal in conduct- and character to the best in the world. "They proved themselves the best of till. ’ observed Sir Robert amidst anlnuse.