Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7382, 17 July 1885, Page 4

Two attempts to amend the Education Act have been made this session, one of which has been adopted by the House, while the other has been rejected. The first was made at the instance of Major Steward, member for Waimate, South Canterbury, and had reference to matters of detail, which it was thought would secure a more efficient working of the Act. The amending Bill determines April instead of January to be a more convenient time for the annual meeting of householders to elect the school committees. It also puts an end to what has been known aa the cumulative voting hitherto practised, and, while empowering every elector to exercise aa many votes as there are persons required to be elected, prohibits him from recording more than one vote for any candidate. These changes will prove very beneficial to the working of the Education Act; and, by preventing the election of committees from falling into the hands of a clique, will increase the interest of the householders in the proper management of the schools. The other attempt at an amendment of the Education Act was of a different character, and would, if it had been successful, have had the efloct of essentially altering the principle on which the educational system is based. The aim of the Bill introduced by Mr. W. D. Stewart, of Dunedin West, was to provide for the daily reading of the Bible, without comment, in public schools. It stipulated that this reading should be at the beginning or at the end of the meeting of the schools, and also contained a conscience clause, by which any scholar, whose parent or guardian objected to such reading, might be exempted from attending while it was being proceeded with. A careful examination of this proposed alteration leads to the conclusion that something more than wan expressed was sought to be obtained. For, if by the words " at the beginning or end of the meeting of the school " is meant before or at the close of echool hours, then there ie nothing to be gained by the proposed change which cannot be secured under existing arrangements. According to the Act as it now stands, all committees are at liberty to grant the use of the schools under their care for

the purposes of religious teaching, either before the ordinary school work commences or after it has terminated. The insertion of the conscience clause shows however, that the intention of the parties to this movement waa to secure the reading of the Bible during the echool hours though they had not the boldness or honesty to say so. They also overlooked the fact that these only can really be called school hours during which no scholar is obliged or entitled to be exempt from attendance. The advocates of this change cannot therefore be commended for their straightforwardness of purpoee ; and the House manifested its sense of the covert attempt to alter the existing system by rejecting the Bill proposing to give effect to it by a deciaive majority of fifty against eighteen. All people have a right to move, if they be so disposed, for having the Bible read during school hours ; but, if eo, they ought explicitly to state what they want, and not attempt to gain their object by a aide wind.