OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18277, 19 December 1922, Page 10

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE.

TEACHER'S RESERVATION.

A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE.

DISCUSSION BY CLERGY.

[by telegraph.—own correspondent.]

CHRISTCHURCH, Monday.

The matter of the dismissal of Mr. A. W. Page from the staff of tho Christchuroh Boys' High School was brought up at to-night's meeting of the Council of Christian Congregations, by the Rev. J. Paterson. Mr. Paterson said Mr. Page had been dismissed from the service of the Education Department because he had refused to sign the oath of allegiance which tho Minister for Education demanded of all teachers.

Mr. Page was a young man of great scholastic attainments, and of exemplary moral character, and was well fitted for the profession. He offered to tako the oath of allegiance, if permitted to add certain words, which would have the effect of allowing him to do his duty to God. In spite of the appeals of other teachers of the school, that the oath should be accepted in that form, tho Minister refused to accept it. Tho speaker thought it only right that a teacher should bo loyal, and that ho should not inculcate socialistic doctrines to tho children under him, but it was a serious matter wher; the Government refused to recognise one's duty to God. The speaker believed the great majority of teachers took the oath with sucii a. proviso In their tmind as Mr. Page ineisted on. Were they to have foisted on them, he asked, the Prussian doctrine which the Allies had fought to exterminate during tho war '! The Prussian doctrine was that the State should bo obeyed in all matters, whether right or wrong. If such an idea was in the Minister's mind, it was the duty of the council to fight it. This was one of the objects for which the council had been formed.

Mr. Page was the only teacher to refuse to take the oath, which meant either that there was no need for the oath or that the whole thing was a piece of humbug. If tho Minister believed there was disloyalty among tho teachers then he had caught only ono person, a young man who was known to be harmless. He moved that the matter be discussed at the next meeting of the. council and that the executive in the meantime be instructed to prepare a resolution on the question. A member inquired if the meeting, when discussing the matter, would also be given an opportunity of hearing the Minister's side of the case. It seemed to him there must have been something more in the matter than had been stated to cause the Minister to take tho action he had.

Mr. Paterson undertook to wTito tothe Minister for his opinions on tho question.

Tho Rev. W. J. Williams said the question opened up all sorts of possibilities. He would like to know what the objects of the council's existence were that it could deal with such a matter.

Mr. Paterson: I think our objects cover everything under the sun. The motion was carried unanimously.