BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14391, 9 June 1910, Page 7

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

NELSON SYSTEM REJECTED. At the meeting of the Auckland Education Board yesterday, the chairman (Mr. 0. J Parr) referred to the movement to introduce what ie known as the Nelson system of Bible instruction in the Board's schools: From inquiries made, the chairman said, itappeared that only three or four small districts in the Dominion had approved of the system, while only eight out of 350 committees the Auckland district requested its adoption- ; He considered no good purpose could gained by further entertaining the matter. The Nelson system, the chairman held, was an infringement of both the letter and the spirit of the Act, wFich makes the Board the guardians of the secular system of education in the land. Briefly, the Nelson system proposed to ( take half-an-hour out of the school time-table for religious teaching, to be given by the clergy of certain denominations, and to make use of the State school ( teachers to help :. the clergy, The chairman said he considered it would oe quite unjustifiable under our present system of secular education to permit the Board's teachers to/be (so (used; s The teachers' salaries are paid for by all denominations, and ''--'■ the teachers ;•<' should sbe ne-Ttral. If the teacher was called on to assist-;by his or her influence or ' presence one sect ( and/ not another, dissension, and disputes would certainly follow. Another objection to • the ' Nelson system was that it would bring /very subtle and & very real pressure on the school teachers, which would be (tantamount to placing the teachers in an unfair position. The chairman said he also feared that the admittance to the schools of clergy ; of varying sects and creeds l and faiths ; would eventually lead to sectarian differences, of which,; at all costs, our schools should be kept free. / The Board, (without discussion, unanimously passed "the following resolution -i— "That the Auckland Education (Board; is unable to accede to the request to introduce into its schools the Nelson system of religious instruction." /