SCHOOL LITERATURE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11045, 31 October 1921, Page 9

SCHOOL LITERATURE

‘ ‘CONTENTIOUS PAMPHLETS-” SCHOOL COMMITTEES AND MINISTER. CHRISTCHURCH, October 29. The question .of admitting certain pamphlets to State schools was again before the Canterbury School Committees’ Association. Mir A. Peveri.il (secretary) reported that he had sent to the Minister for Education a copy of the following motion, passed at the previous meeting: “That before any contentious pamphlets are authorised to be placed in our State schools they first be brought under the notice of the school committees for their consideration and report.” He had written:—“We do not in any way wish to embarrass you or think of curtailing your rights as a Minister, hut we do wish to keep our schools free from all semblance of party strife and bickerings, and trust that you will give us your valuable assistance in helping to do so.” The Hon. C. J. Parr (Minister for Education) replied as under: — “I shall be glad to consider your association’s suggestion, to see if it is at all feasible, and in all probability I will write you later on the subject. Of course, a great deal turns on what your association means by ‘contentious’ pamphlets. I suppose hardly any subject or text-book will be found to meet with the unqualified, approbation of everyone in the community. The business of the Education Department is' to see to it that as fair as -possible only the actual facts, whether of history or science, are placed in the schools. Your association may take it that I shall always be careful never knowingly to authorise the teaching in our schools of any matter whioh is not based upon proved fact and scientific truth. I think I understand the point of view you seek to place before me, and it wall aways have proper consideration at my hands.” ■>