BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1847, 31 July 1907, Page 2

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

The annual meeting of the Wellington Citizens’ Bible-in-Schools League was held Thursday at the Wesleyan Schoolroom. Mr J. P. Burley occupied the chair.

The league was formed about a year ago, said the annual report, with the object of introducing the Bibi§ into tho schools of this colony as a classic, it was resolved to write 'to every country in the world to obtain information with regard to religious instruction. Various replies had been received from different places. In the thirty-five American States the Bible was read in the majority of tho schools; also in Canada it was read in most of the provinces in the Catholic and Protestant schools, in the Orange River Colony, Cape Colony, in the States of Australia, except Victoria and Queensland, while religious instruction was also given in France, Belgium, Germany and Great Britain, it had been proposed to take a referendum of the Schools Committees of New Zealand, asking for their opinion on the matter, and every day replies were being received. Many of them suggest that the Commandments should be read once a week, but most of the committees who recommended this were against Biblereading in the schools. Many committees did not approve Bible lessons being supervised by tlie teachers only, and suggested that ministers also should be allowed to teach the Scriptures. It would be some six weeks before all the replies were received. The Education Union of Chicago had forwarded their reader, and one of the leading educationalists of New Zealand had given it as his opinion that it should be used in tho schools of this colony. Tlie chairman stated that interest in tho league’s work was increasing, and since it had been started good work on certain lines Lad been done. This was shown by the fact that replies had been received from various countries throughout the world, to which circulars had been sent, asking for information. It had been shown that in Europe, America and Australia Bible-reading had been very beneficial. Replies received from school committees showed that the great majority of them were in favour of the introduction of the Bible in schools. The, league proposed at a suitable time to call together delegates from the various school committees of the colony to formulate a scheme whereby pressure would be brought to bear on the or those responsible, to compel them to introduce to the Legislature of the colony an Act which should enable a referendum to be taken as to whether Biblereading should be introduced into the State schools. He thought the evidence so far was in favour of this being done. Having taken tlio matter up, they intended to push it forward; their hand having been put to the plough, they were nut going' back. They ueie to consider what steps they were going to take in the future. At this stage it was pointed out that pres* representatives were present, and as there was a difference of opinion as to whether the deliberations of the league were public or private, a vote was taken as to whether they should be allowed to remain. The answer being in i he negative, the reporters withdrew. The Wellington Education Board, at its meeting yesterday, received communications from Newtown and Makomako School Committees in regard lo Biblereading in schools, but decided that the matter did not come within its jurisdiction.