MORAL TEACHING IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9045, 25 November 1892, Page 3

MORAL TEACHING IN SCHOOLS.

TO THE EDITOR. bra,— would be interesting to know on what grounds the large majority of the members of the Teachers' Institute rejected the proposal to teach morals in the public schools. Does Sectarianism apply to morals as to Christianity. Does a teacher look with indifference upon the immorality of the children that pass through his hands, as though it were no concern of his ; or does he cane children for lying and theft? Is not that teaching, and of a very bad sort. Lying is the result of fear, caning increases the fear and the lying. The first essential is that the teacher be moral, which, of course, the members of the Institute are. They have been trained to reason rightly on truthfulness, honour, respect towards parents, courtesy, and fair play. What is there in a State system to prevent these being illustrated from history and biography, not excluding the examples which the Bible affords. It is a favourite dictum of the professional teacher that his training enables him to produce results which neither the parent nor the Sunday School teacher can attain. Is arithmetic more important than honesty, or correct English than truth? Why cannot teachers give their valuable aid to the parents who are poor, and struggling with troubles which overmaster their endeavours to lead their children in the right way. And when they attempt the task how often they fail from the want of the knowledge which the teacher possesses ? They have to see their children estranged from them, wandering into bad ways, and are helpless. It is the fate of the poor and ignorant, and even of the rich and ignorant. We compel the parents to send their children to school; fine them if they do not; the teachers usurp for the time the authority of the parent, and then send the children home with no spark of gratitude or respect towards the parents to whom they owe so much. And when I think how easy it would be either by special collective lessons or by comments on the reading lessons to evoke the best feelings of the scholars, and to induce them to do right, not from fear or the hope of gain, but because it is right, I regret very much the decision of the majority of the members of the Institute, and hope the president or some representative member will give us the arguments upon which that decision was based.— I am, etc., , Belteshazzar.