THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11842, 20 December 1901, Page 3

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

TO THE SDITOB. Sir, The Government of the State'of Vic* | toria recently appointed a Royal Commission ■ to make inquiry into the important - subject*V„ ; of the -Bible in schools. That Commisii'oii was a most representative 'one, and its icecommendations have no sectarian bias.''.The J ' ■ £$■ Compassion carefully considered "whether - Bibl 5 teaching could. or should bo placet! in " < - the hands of the public school teachers, and' * - .recommended," " That', (Bible) lessons " Kjgff should bo given during the first half-an-hour ;i' ,» j and that the teachers might be trusted to explain the lesson as they would any other sub-; fpg ject without obtruding . personal or sectarian. views. The question as to whether the lessons suggested should -be simply, "read, or <. * /' whether the . teacher should be directed to; •*' give .■ careful instruction in the meaning of 1 the language and narrative, engaged our attention. The_unanimous testimony of our witnesses was in favour of teaching as distinct' from reading; that the lessons would bo; - far more valuable : and interesting if treated i in this way, and that the teachers could be trusted loyally to -teach the lessons as they. would any other." In New South Wales the teachers are entrusted with thin duty, and those ' who fear • *?• v.'j ,to ' entrust. this / duty and privilege to »'ouiH school teachers should study the official re- r ports of the working of the New South Wales Act, as issued by the Department of,' . Public Instruction, Sydney. Let me make: some quotations: "All teachers, irrespec- ' ;> tive of creed, are required to teach'theso - Scripture lessons, and in no ease has any refusal to do so taken place, nor has any; complaint ever been made to ; the Depart-' ■ mcnt that the lessons have been ridiculed or made light of. Section 18 of the Act, anrH 118 of the reguations, allow a parent to- , withdraw his children from: all religious in-" struction by notifying his wish in writing ~ to the teacher. As a matter of fact, such notifications are so few that for statistical) purpose they may be said not to exist. ' Thai » general outcome of the instruction is that all! pupils receive a substantial ijknowledgo ofj Scripture history, and are made acquainted*. with the moral 'teaching contained in the. Bible. . . . With a view of obtaining a wide expression of opinion upon the question as to whether the Irish , National! Board Scripture lessons are 'advantageous in , promoting the moral and intellectual education. of the pupils in public schools, a cir-j cular was issued to all inspectors of schools! undo, this Department requesting them .to' state their views upon the matter. It was; 3'. , found that the large majority of these officers! i expressed a decided opinion that the Scrip-! , ture lessons are calculated to exercise a bene- 1 i i ficial effect upon the : pupils, both i morally, , and intellectually. . The following extract! ; from the report of one of our most experi-; v enced inspectors.. may be taken as represent-; . ing the true value of the lessons: 'In cases; , where teachers deal with the books as they!' 'would' with ordinary class books, giving anil, intelligent exposition of the subject matter; of the lessons,; testing by examination to! what extent the pupils comprehend, its scope; : 1 and meaning, i and -dwelling with . judicious! force and impressiveness upon, : such points, f ; of religion and morals as those lessons incul-! cate, there can be no doubt whatever of thef -• ; benefits accruing. .1 believe, that in ' about'. 50 per cent, of our schools these lessons ;; have been so treated.' " _ i ' Attention - should :be given to the 'following paragraph : • " There > are no sectarian / difficulties in working the clauses,-providing s for ; general 'or special religious instruction*; ' | because the system has always formed a" part of the school routine, of 'the "colony, rind _ probably only a small percentage of parents | would like a change made unless it were in. > the direction of giving ■ more and not .less t religious teaching."_ .■■■..■ ■ , : : \ / What is possible in Australia is surely not • impossible in New Zealand.— am, etc., v -t : . r , ■< ' - ; (Jeokge MacMuekat. Si. Mary's Cathedral.''