THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15124, 15 October 1912, Page 4

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

ci '.~Tlic argument of the «... II schools party have boon th * B,^» j W 1 on rho rights of the child or „ Pnaarjl! M wo have hoard little^ oT„ihi„~» *£ ' I of the toucher. Thern l-avo ti,e 'right» -p< toresting articles lately b'v Mr p 1 P m the Literary Guide, on his e-cmJ' ul i 1$ this connection. ix. Gould i. «a BS «s a writer, his works j>} History of Religion." '• The 8 m X°°ciss -s3 Book of Moral Lessons," "Bra° M and many others of high , C ] ta *K' : ff import. Mr.- Gould w«K ed ? 1 Jar to post and had finally to wA°- P«-■ II fession because of his inability to « S : pro ' " i ously teach the religious lessons ? 0ns ««nti. § In the last number of the Liter a J C ?- I,V l : to reach ,\n;v Zealand 7. rar Guife-. H of Mrs. Biliington Giii*. A?^ eri '*s ! -§ is of interest at the present juncture " I like to quote from her article wf„ I w °al4 ; 1 "Twice during lV tear-bin-' 111 ? ay3: - ' P .-.„ I found r,iy*|f disquafifii V h^ 1 ; 1 from giving the religious i n noor '•! quired of me. 1 transferred inT<e f r 1 *"- ft the Roman Catholic Schools to £ ft* ' : $1 Manchester School Board in lfSq ? tf *n |i I had com© to reject the faith in' 3^5 •|| had been bred; four vears late? T 'It found myself faced by the disabi'litv S&m If belief I could not honourably conlm % '■' 1 impart Biblical instruction to the eh;u to "i entrusted to my care. . . Wbil« « P sent system continues the belief of tho ?*" ft cher is dragged from the realm of tV*' I purely private things in which any irfc pressure is impertinent and evasive a „^ l Alf made a public affair. . . T],oJ;j 15 fg intrusion into education assumes ® those who qualify as teachers in eW % schools are, and will remain, Christians; it imposes on the body oft fa chers duties which contain this :{; 1 And this is surely as vicious a W^.l religious test as can well be devised. It l;„-f ->P the teaching service to the orthodox?? ' $ forces orthodoxy on the teachers at a! 11 point of the economic bayonet For-Wfcv 1 t, ; er ,° 13 A conscience c!so for the I of the child there is no provisional®^-1 for any contract on th© partofMl teacher. . hough teachers are for a 1 »; - I sential purposes, Stat© servants, a relict % dut? amounting to a religious test is° £? : M posed on them as a condition of th»ir'«!*- % vice." Here I would point out that *ym*' * ;! statement in the above is equally annfe#' ® to the position of teachers under th»" h New South Wales system, which itis proposed to introduce into Nc*- Zeal«J<f : M There is in the New South Wales STStem-- is no conscience clause for the teacher ~'Cm p sider tho case if, a teacher who has -ml ij knowledge of tnoacrn science and the hijW'-i criticism. Under the New South Wal« ' : J system he will be. compelled to teach tiuMM Biblical account of creation. In his owt'iHfl mind ho does not bclievo a word of wfesS;§f ho is compelled to teach. And he'h&a no}j remedy A nice-- moral atmosphere this? i? And yet our friends, tho Bible in school, H' party, would bring about exactly this state Th© teacher must either be false to his ' 1 principles, or resign. There is no' alter-'-' I native; no getting off . the horns of this -1 dilemma, _ To compel the teacher to!fc»"-I false to his principles is immoral | and tliii , | is hardly in keeping with the claims of Half'"® Biblo in schools party. The alternative ffi resignation, means that a religious Whwlkffl been imposed on the teacher; ' and 5»r9 : ffi might I ask our friends to . remember •idut fa the imposition of religious tests ''hai-fi^lffl in the past, and are we going to sacrifice! what has been so strenuously fought for and ja gained at the cost of so much" sufferitigjlflg Mrs. Biliington Greigv continues :~"=W6^Ss I rejected Christianity I foiled. . ; (1) Ir-l'ffl could retain my livelihood by continuing jf teach what I disbelieved and abhorred; Cs*'- 1 I could ask .exemption from that teaching j.-;® (3) I could change my occupation."'fi asked for exemption, and she was tenjj»i%is arily relfeved- After nine months sb»''dij|S£l covered that the clerk of the Board yi'istea never placed her application for I before the committee. (Strang© how things are don© - where .religion is • .<jittag|(fl cerned!)-. She was then transferred Jewish school and was the victim of trick. Her application was not coniiidereit iS by the Education authorities,, but. hei&i|iaiiao|| was put on the ordinary list, of iraSifen":' i Within h year she. had left th© service: t-aken up other work. In commenting" ofe 1 her cas© she says: A straight fight wrald:,; | probably have ended in my dismissal; indfeiS this was the excuse offered for the 'fsripc- fl pulling effected on my behalf.. In nine per cent, of cases a -'frank' adciiai(^;>; ; 3 of ' agnosticism and » claim for ; relief a giving religious instruction, would;:©ttntdv'l f ate in exclusion from ordinary teachic?2%| Naturally if the teachers don't believe 1 they are compelled to teach. " the religfffl!»>; a instruction is reduced to foolish which can have little of its boasted e!en>i-!j ting influence _ upon those who heat; t!» !j empty jargon." ''It- is a contraventiwi ot.*;' it the intimate personal liberty of thought;; | which all citizens'ought to enjoy. It.u *a. survival of intolerance and persecution It is contrary to the highest ethical-iniws;.;l <ests of those who teach and those who »»|S | taught. It '3 indefensible." Now,y;nuiitt : l Th© whole of Mrs. Biliington Greiife I troubles arose from the fact that she c693fj: not conscientiously teach certain - religions ; ' views. There was no trouble about iCJother subject she was expected to kaci | It was not inability to conscientiously-twp? history, geography, English,, or' any other., f subject in the school syllabus; but. vExa | it cams to religious teaching. the. trouU»j|; ; began. It. is only one instance|ofSSf,gl| trickery, wrangling, and general abloness for which tho introduction | ligious teaching into schools has .'been' sponsible. It is reserved for this on© tiio-,' |i ject only to cause dissension and jj Might I impress this fact earnestly on thfflfi-; good people j now forming committeeship | help the Bible in schools, party— I am suro, would not willingly do : any W- J justice to tho noble army ' of teachers, W&fe;. 1 work is probably more important ' than done by any other section of the coramuTdtJ.J» 1 .. ./3I.;LE'2^I Sir,ln view of the fact that Canon' land and his friends arc endeavouring . | tablish' hero a system of religious tesxiHa?. | such as exists in Australia, it is inte»e6tia?.,-'fi to not© what opinions on this subject irei,| entertained by educationists in a. mere vanced country such as America. ' . Garlin Spencer, director of the'3chO£|Wg|s|| Ethics, member of the faculty of the School:, of Phiianthrophv, New York City, | "We have now reached a conscious period | in tho growth of educational ideals when have the character aim more distinctlT fore us. We havo reached also some sotffhj'.: conditions in which th© need for a definite appeal to the moral of tho > child is perceived. _ The oldruwy of religious sanctions which .- could secure common ethical ideals and give the of discipline in moral practice • adequate the average need, is gone. I" our'.coaao*,>:| ]X>li'can population th© Church creeds tho family' traditions separate, the groupings differentiate, the vOS»j«®®>V classify into economic- differences. 'mother tongues' suggest varyingjfo®???g|| and literature. There is but one UWfPW&jy influence in tho common ■' life ' of.Amfig%g|L and that is th© tax-supported public ; Hero, if anywhere, soma unity of - ideal and practice can bo scoured- ■' ■ Hence many educators now feel , that one most important of all new. moveftWr.'jjw; in education is tho development of a svstti® jl of character-training . . . . . so detffliW from special religious sanctions ana t and forms of worship that it. may jusity | installed in the public schools.*' Again, r >y, ferring to Mr. Gould and the ottor^g&sMl of the Moral Instruction _I<eague 0 - !||| Britain, the same authority says:-- - l J■: ij believe that 'below all differences CI ffl' l ' :'* judgment growing out of. differences J ligious doctrines, there is a common tiveness to moral appeal, a common to admire love and truth and justice i unselfish service and high honour and . action. . . . Their _ technique ! s ?Sijj4 :^ ' "*i which brings to consciousness ifl the. latent passion for excellence which 1? ; example of nobleness for the child is I to treasure, which emphasizes tho wßWte&j content of all studies." Again, this authority on this subject points movement for definite, systematic teaching is already smarted. To servo - g the great social needs of our couuWj 5 must be kept frw> from all R monoply." Therefore, on this very ant question I say let us look to Am-'■ < for inspiration, not to Australia. recogniso that the essential of educwo®j»t||| an irrefragable foundation oe morality,w the majority would, I think, under Wm® sent complicated condition of Chrisu&Pw|Jj prefer to pursue their work of ch building either tho aid of tn® or clerical supervision. i'DIU" Wainui, Auckland. .