The New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1913. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8366, 28 February 1913, Page 6

The New Zealand Times. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1913. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

It is a significant sign of the times that the Bible-in-schools movement has behind it, to a extent, the sympathetic adherence and support of the pohtical party that styles itself “Reform,” but is more correctly labelled as Tory. This is probably what might have been expected. In every country the party of interests stands for a State church and a State religion, and it is a mere step from religious instruction in schools to these particular ends, though a step, we must confess, somewhat difficult to negotiate in a democratic oommum y like our own. The sentiments of Reform" in this matter are very faudy reflected in the leading columns of the Tory press. Some of the Conservative papers, such as the local squatters organ! venture their support covertly, Urging that the question should be eiiinnitted to a referendum of the people. Marvellous, is it not, wij at a Smiting avenue of escape, the referendum oners to the politician or the newspaper that does not claie _ to acoeot responsibility r* -lb© ~ rls^7 3 “-SU," However, which may ha accented as the most able and auLS r exponent of Tory thought ui New Zealand more fearless and candid. openly and fearlessly espouses the cause or the advocates for the Bible m schools. Thar© was, iu a recent issue oi tn© “ Press,” a leading article pleading the cause of the sectarian party witn plausible and casuistical skill, and :mmuentaliy representing this as a movomeat for the restoration of the Bible to thTschools of New Zealand. Ibts isa species of misleading assertion, inten ttonal or otherwise, that sbotdd carefully . guarded against. no movement for the restoratio of the Bible to the schools, for the simple and sufficient reason that the Bible has never been in the schools. The agitation that is on foot now -is ono to introduce the Bible into the schools where it has never been since the establishment of our free, secular, and compulsory system of education. This is entirely a new departure, it is one that, until a comparatively recent period, was promoted solely by the no-Hcnri Church and was opposed by the diissonting persuasions, including the Presbyterians, who, of course, claim that they are not dissenters. For some reason that has not been made clear, the greater part of the (Assenting section has thrown its influence into the balance with the Anglicans, probably because it finds the task ot imparting religious instruction in ot out of schools growing irksome and arduous, and is anxious to cast it upon the already overloaded shoulders of the school teachers. The Press, in the course of its article, quotes authorities to show that iu Australia there is no injustice to Roman Catholics: that during a period of. seven years Roman Catholic priests paid an annual average of 935 visits to state schools; and that, on these occasions, they instructed an annual average of 31,423 children. That may be so. The important fact is lost sight of, however, that this in itself indicates sectarianism where there should bo no sectarianism. In our own country the Roman Catholics have already established an excellent education system, which has attested its efficiency in competitive examination, and which is gradually expanding. Hitherto the Roman Catholics have unsuccessfully sought for State aid to their schools, a request that has been steadfastly declined on the ground that the public schools are non-sectarian and open to all, but from the day that sectarianism and religious instruction are tolerated in the State schools the whole weight of Liberal sentiment and influence will, as a matter of fair play, be exerted on the side of the Roman Catholics in their demand for a substantial subsidy. From that point to a system of sectarian schools subsidised by the public funds is an easy and natural transition, though certainly not a progressive one. The Bible-in-schools movement is the deadliest and most destructive opposition that our magnificent education system has faced sine© its establishment. Again and again the sectarian party has been engaged in this assault, and as often it has met with repulse and defeat, only lo awaken eventually to renewed vigour and activity at the will of the clerical party. The present agitation is the most dangerous that the free, secular and compulsory system has been called upon to'withstand, because it has behind it the politically dominant forces of Toryism, but th© democratic sentiment of the country will eventually be roused to a full consciousness of the designs of clericalism and sectarianism upon one of our most admirable institutions. To the teaching profession tbo issues at stake are of momentous importance, and are fraught with

serious consequences for the future. With sectarianism - in authority in education, the intellectual qualifications, experience and training of the teacher, in seeking an appointment, will count less with those in control than the fitness for imparting “ suitable ” religious instruction. What represents “suitable” instruction depends on the religious party in power for the time being, bnt, taking the .proportions of the religious community into consideration, this is easy to forecast. Wo have been comparatively free from the sectarian difficulty hitherto, but, in view of the strength of the movement at present on foot and the powerful influences behind it, there is every reason why the moderate and Liberalminded section of the people should bo on the alert.