THE BIBLE IN SCHOOL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18016, 15 February 1922, Page 9

THE BIBLE IN SCHOOL.

REQUEST FROM ROTORUA.

ATTITUDE OF COMMITTEES.

OPINION EVENLY DIVIDED. The action of the Auckland Education Board in refusing the Eotorua School Com-, mittee permission to allow religious instruction in the district school during school hours was considered at a meeting of tbo Auckland Primary School Committees' Association last evening. A resolution approving the board's action was put, but the voting being equal, the chairman, Mr. C. H. Furaess, declined to exercise his casting vote, and therefore no decision was reached. Mrs. F. C. Davidson a member of the Rotonia bchool Committee, was present by invitation, and by means of the correspondence received by her committee from committees in whose schools the Nelson system of religious instruction was given she endeavoured to show that the unanimous opinion was that it had not done any harm to the school or the scholars. Mrs. Davidson also cited the opinions of several headmasters to the effect that this I instruction had been very beneficial to I children and to the school generally. She [urged that if the education boards in I other centres had granted permission for ' this form of instruction to be given it was quite within the province of the Auckland Board to do so. What was asked bv her committee was that these lessons should ! ,be given during school hours instead of before or after. She said that the parents o' the scholars, by 145 votes to 8, had decided that this was desirable, and it was because of that mandate that tho commitr tee felt justified in making its request, I which had been refused, although the ; members of the board, on the last occasion ! the matter was before them, had been jevenlv divided. I Mr! R. H. A. Potter moved : "That the , meeting heartily endorse the decision of i the board in not acceding to the request, which if granted would, in our opinion, be ja violation of the Education Act and a serious interference with our national system of free, secular and compulsory education." Mr. Potter said he took up the attitude that what was asked was undemocratic, and could not consistently be . done unless the Act was amended so as to provide for religious instruction in the schools during the regular hours. He had I hn grave doubts about the wisdom of such ! a step. j Mr. F. W. Treby seconded the motion. I He said he believed in the Bible being introduced into the schools, but he was entirely opposed to the right of entry by the representative of any particular denomination. Mr. G. W. Murray, a member of the Education Board, said he had opposed the , request becaus9 he thought it wrong for I one' committee to ask for something that was not asked for by Act of Parliament. A general discussion followed, many arguments beingadvanced for and against the proposal. When the voting resulted in a tie the chairman said that in view of the matter combe before the board to-day he preferred not to give his casting vote.