THE BOOK THAT'S BANNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18771, 26 July 1924, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE BOOK THAT'S BANNED.

A SCHOOL MASTER'S VIEW. BY. H. T. GIBSON. Those who would leave to parsons and parents the duty of " teaching morals " to children are radically wrong. With very few exceptions, neither parsons nor parents can teach. Careful study of special theory, long practice, close observation of the child mind, and a natural aptitude for the work, are only a few of the factors necessary to make an expert teacher. And: surely the teaching of morals demands expert skill. True, by example and precept, parsons and parents can help and support moral teaching very greatly, but it is to the school that the child looks for guidance, albeit unconsciously. The influence of the schoolmaster is incalculable, for it cannot be defined. It makes itself felt for many years after the pupil leaves school. Many people are subject to the influence of their school for the remainder of their lives. If, then, the child sees that the schoolmaster not only acknowledges Bible truths, but also teaches from the Bible, will the child not look upon that teaching as part of the very fabric of his education, and hence as part of his very life ? At present " moral instruction " is given in the schools, but the Bible is a thing apart; rarely referred to. This attitude toward the foundation of our morals is about as consistent as trying to teach swimming on the kitchen table.

" But the sneers of atheist teachers might do harm!" says a critic. They might. Mrs. Partington's broom might sweep back the Atlautic. The average common-sense parent would tolerate such sneering about as long as he would toh erate the teaching of disloyalty to the Empire,

At or.e time I opposed Bible reading in schools, even with the "right of entry" denied to the clergy. But I was wrong, for I failed to realise the fundamental fact that education consists of three great branches—moral, mental and physical— and that these branches cannot be dissociated any more than brain, body and conscience can be dissociated. The Bogey of Sectarianism. Our civilisation is based upon Christian ethic 3, • morals and precepts, and these ethics, morals and precepts are to be found in the Bible, and in the Bible only. Hence we cannot teach children ethics without using the Bible; we may as well attempt to make a watch and leave out the mainspring. But, as the introduction of the Bible, or suitable selections from the Bible, into our public schools might raise the bogey of sectarianism, should we run that risk ? Certainly, and kill the bogey. But does not that killing bristle with difficulties ? Of course it does, but did our boys at Gallipoii sit down and say, " We can't attack, the difficulties are too great, and we fear the consequences?". How can we kill the bogey? By conscientious adherence to the spirit of the work, by explanation of words and phrases when necessary, but by refraining from colouring our explanations with «even the slightest tinge of our own particular form of belief. I know full well that the overwhelming majority of our teachers are broadminded and honest enough to resist any temptation* to air their own ideas. The Teacher's Business. "But why should teachers undertake the parson's job ?" asks another critic. Because, even supposing the typical parson were a teacher, which he is not, he has control of a very few children for, maybe, an hour a week, whereas the schoolmaster, has control of all the children for practically the whole period of their elementary aducation. "But is it not the parents' duty to teach Bible ethics?" Of course it is, but parents will not do it; they seldom have the time to spare, and the majority cannot teach even if they would. They might tell facts, but telling is not teaching. No, it is the teacher's business to educate, and if the parents and parsons cannot, or will not, supply the moral branch of education, then teachers should do so. Our present system is incomplete, for we attempt, or seriously attempt, only two of the three branches. We urgently need a standard of conduct in order to overcome the indifference and the ignorance which invariably lead to a wrong conception of life and its uses.

• What do I mean by " wrong conception ?" The, conception that pleasureseeking is man's chief aim in life, and that materialism is its gospel; the conception that trades unionism is the panacea for' all industrial troubles, and that agnostic socialism will cure all social evils; the conception that because all men are born equal, therefore, they must remain equal throughout their lives; and the conception (quoted from a party newspaper) that , " the Christian God is but the God of earlier ages, .made up to suit the present economic orders of society; we must banish the superstition frojin the minds of the youngsters if ever we intend them to be fighter's for the Revolution." . The Bible Indispensable. It is of national importance that our national ethics should Be taught in our schools, and as the Bible is the repository for these ethics, the Bible is indispensable. To quote statistics showing that such-and-such a State, where Bible reading is carried,on in the schools, suffers from a higher percentage of crime than does a State where Bible reading is, not carried on in the schools, and to condemn the system therefrom, is utterly false logic, inasmuch as it attempts to argue from the particular to the general, and, moreover, it does hot consider any conditions or influences affecting the issue. Because all sparrows are birds it does not follow that all birds are sparrows; moreover, if one sparrow is sick it does not follow that all sparrows are sick. Further, to quote the crime statistics of countries where religion (N.B. —religion) is taught in the schools, and to compare the,m. with the crime statistics of countries where the Bible' is not read in the schools, and then to point out that the latter countries are freer from crime than are the former countries, is a totally false comparison, and hence a totally fa"se conclusion. To teach sectarian religion in schools is a vastly different matter from reading the Bible in schools. We may teach a boy mathematics, but he does not learn chemistry thereby, though he must understand mathematics before he can understand chemistry. Bible ethics fonm part of our Christian faith, but they do not constitute religion. Briefly, either we are a Christian nation or we are not. If we are, let us tackle this part of the work; let us give our children every possible chance to maintain our Christian ethics and hence our civilisation; let us not tamely say, "We are too afraid,'' but let us circumvent obstacles, , overcome difficulties, and face our responsibilities as British people should. :.