THE RELIGIOUS DIFFICULTY IN EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14439, 4 February 1909, Page 4

THE RELIGIOUS DIFFICULTY IN EDUCATION

lI.—WHY WAS DKXOMIXATIOXALISM ABOLISHED IX A'EW SOI'TII WALES? BT R. W. " The religion of thrift flitters the children to come to the school, bill the (leiiOiuinatioM.l fetish, of ecclesiastics forbids "it,"—Sir Henry Parkes.

In- niv former article I gave satisfactory proof thai tlw clonal to-religionists of the respected Kditor of the Tablet were largely the e.iu.so ill New Zealand 30 years ago of the banishment, of the Word o( (lot! from our schools, a.nd of t.he prohibii.ion 01 prayer ill the same. Th-o leaders of tho Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand <lelin<>ri themselves, by their attacks 011 t-he Ctngo provincial system and by their stem opposition to t-he religious clause iJi Mr Bowcii's hill in 1877, as strong antagonists of what nuiy lie called wi&ociariaii Christianity in 'our common schools. And now, after the lapse of more than 30 years. a reproscnta-t-ive of the llonum Catholic Ch.ureli denounce the New Zealand (lovernment for doing what, the representatives of his church asked it at that timo to do, What Dr Cleary calls the "flag of Christ '' over our schools was fired at without mercy by Bishop Moran and otlmre 30 years ago. anil every attempt tJiat has boon made io re-raise ihe flag that wan pulled i.mler this lire has met 'with ihe cipposition of the same school of ecclesiastics.

'the demand Roman and certain other ecclesiastics 30 years ago in New Zealand was for denominational schools. TI109? ecclesiastics demanded clerical control of the schools and State money for Ihe support of these schools. That is Dr Cleurys demand today. It is a demand that has been made to every Legislative Assembly in tho Southern hemisphere. It is a demand tint lias generally mot with no response. Hut. ill one ease ihe demand was successful. The New South Wales Legislature aJtrwl to liavo donomriiotionalisin. It was "tried for a. fair number of years. It was abandoned. Whv it was abandoned leads to the telling of a story (hat. shows I,lie difficulty statesmen have in dealing with pn-esrlj- demands -a story thai, shows that ecclesiastical ingratit.i M k>, intolerance and violence were_ largely (110 cau.se of tho smashing-up of ihe denomination:!.! system 111 Xott- Soii'lh Wales. Let that story bo told as briefly as clearness of statement will permit.

In Aew fotith Wales, up to the year 1830, support was given by the (iovernlnent to denominational nc.hrols tinder more laian due act of Parliament. | M various causes ]til lo a. r,>o|>oning of flu. education ipiolion by Parliament Sir Henry 1 arkes w.v then in p.wer, and ho tool, the (luestion m hand and carried a. hill thiottg.il Parliament iu which proven w.l> madfl for tho cimtiimatiou of denominationalism. for tln» mnvcmal iniinjnir 0 f teachers and for the perpetuation of public fidioo.s of a uou-fr.'cfaran character. He lia< to contend nirainst secularists -~i K] ecdnsiasties of sacnxlot.'il clturciios iu carrvil!" P'M " H ' i " i " roj , tllc l ,1,l)li c the bible was road and |, ra yor offered, and hour a <h,v sot .part fo r denominational teaching by tho respective churches.'' Jlus was the compromise: this , vas il* H >l,.Hon of tho religious difficult? in 1?66 It wis a-somtjon that wti* praised b v states men like \\ K IVster, Karl ' Russell, lliomaa Hughes. awl others. This system con,..lined up to 1880. when an important change was made. Year af("r tfir m. t„ 18S(h nearly £20.000 of grants'wore pan! to Roman Cutnoiic schools un<!or this U. Uiiring the intervening yeare this svswm with its religious compromise, was attacked by reproscnWivw 0 [ smal j p;lrr . ios Parhament and out. Sir P . irkcs 111)10 ntler lime ivxso up in do'em-e. Jn 1873 a I . no 'ion in Parliament ( 0 fnn', 1,1 ho rticcesa. lull} resisted an attempt to abolish grants to the Roman Cavholic and other douonwtiatioir.il school* Tn 1077 ho auain defeated an attack on t.he religion in the common schools. This was the condition of things up to 1879. The reli gIOUS Compromise was. on the whole Hviiv atisfaet'on Wi, a t n r C|c would call the (lag of Christ was (lying over the common scnook The peace, hotvnve.r, was he peace before a storm. I,ike a bolt from the blue the system was attacked, and tlip attack came from the Bishops of the Roman Utholie Chnrcii ,\ pastoral letter, signed 'V Archbishop YaujrJiim and the Bishops of Bathhurst. 1 M.ntland, and Goulburn. was drawn tip m June. 1879, and ordered to be raiu in nil churches and ehaools The pastoral denounced the public "schools (in winch, be it noted, there was praver and Bible-reading; a „d into which the"Roman talholie priests were invited lo enter and imparl; denominational teaching as " sefd PI.DTS OF FUTUHK IHSIOIMUTY," IKFIDEUTV f, x ". '-AWi-KSSXEfs"; demanded that. Utliolics should "withdraw" (heir children from such schools; instructed priests to refuse absolution | 0 such parents as were willing' "to expose their children's souls to the blighting influences of an alien creed or a secularist system." The alien creed in the schools was the Kihle and the Lo'-ds Prayer! The "secularist svsfem " was Ihe non-seclrnun Christianity." This extraordinary broadside was received with consternation, but this speedily changed to almost fierce indignation. It" cameras a special shock lo Sir Henry Partes. who hr.d fojitrht for this conmromise of denominationalism. There were nearly 500 Roman Catholic teachers paid by the fiovermnent. and considerably less than 100 of these were in Roman denominational schools. Protestants had raised no protests airainst their children being taught by Roman Catholic teachers. Sir Ilenry Parkes felt that the friends of national education could not sit still miller Ibis all act. ])r Vausluin had thrown down the gauntlet: Sir Henry Parkes took it up.

Oil few occasions in the history of New South Wales was public feeling more deeply stirred than durins Ihe months followiui; the publication of the pastoral of the Bishops. The Government was forced to give special consideration to tbe whole educational question. Tho Bishops complained that the "creel ion of costlv public schools" was going on in "ovendirection.'' Sir Henry Parkes, in look-in'? into matters, found that were lio losi than 20.009 children of ago to attend outside all their schools. For these and other reasons he considers! frosh legislation necessary. and so his Government introduced into Parliament a now hill. This hill met Archbishop \aughairs grievance about tho ksnfiicient grants to his schools by abolishing grants! It proposed to e.nd d-'iioniiuaiioualism alto,tether! The bill retained the lmscotarian religion of the old system, and it kept the school iloor wide open for minister* of relidon to enter and imparl definite denominational teaching, and it provided that, rooms should In- specially built in which such leaching could I*> given. This bill was introduced iulo Parliament a few months after the beginning of the attacks of the Roman Bishojis. it was -welcomed as the necessary answer to the attacks of the Bishops, and as meotinjr the wider needs of the children in the land. Its second reading was carried by 49 votes to 9. In the meantime Dr Yainrhun, hv speech and pen, donounocd tho bill, audi continued his attacks on the national schools uncontrolled by the priests. Uxtremo measures were adopted by ecclesiastical authorities to coerce the people into antagonism against the public schools. Mr Kenna, a resident, in Bathnrst. was ordered by his Bishop to take away his son from the Sydney Grammar School. He refused, and, when lie dipd soon after, his body was refused "Catholic" burial i Sir Henry Parkes reported to Parliament knot Or \ aughnn refused tho sacramentto children because thev attended a- public school. During the discussion of the bill in the country Sir Henry Parkes was severely censured by Dr Vaudian's supporters. Tbe Rev. Father Heunebury, a distinguished Missione.r of the Roman Catholic Church, was Mien in Xew South Wales. Sir Ilonry Parkes and his Bill aroused hi< nidigrnvtion. and he found relief lor his fe-elings hv saying in Batlmrst: "What a hull will bo'the portion of that man who introduces a law tliai sec-ilar and infidel svltools shall ba the only establishments in which their children shall lo tattghi! Ssieh men as Parkes and those who voted for biui will be damned iii such a hell for tlio scandal t.hoy have put upon religion in introducing sueh a law.' 1 No comment, need l>e made on weapons of persuasion of this Sir Honrv Parkes said the "bluster" of his opponents only assisted to swell the triumph of his cause. The bill »!'• read a third time- on February ?5, 18:0. and it -.vas carried by 42 to six. In tho Upper Chamber it wis asrc»d to practically without a dissentient voice. It i-e----roived ihe Royal Assent, on April 21. 1680. This law put an end (o " pa.vment hv rn-sulu"—t'--nominatioiral education—in New fio-il.ii Wa!c~.

It, is surely no distortion of t'le faeis of this Mory to say thai. f.h« Hishons' nitidis were ftt> occasion and iartrelv the cause o[ the endjug ol ienomifljationalism

in'Xew South Wales. Sir Honry Parkos solved th'> religious problem by rc-copcnisin^ that Christianity is a part of our civilisation and a necessary element in our educational system. IK> triumphed over secularism on the ow band and superstition on the other. Ilis educational logislation is u good memorial of a man who was no moan statesman. The experience of New Houlli Wales is of value in seeking a solution of the religious difficulty in education in Xew Zealand. And it is from experience, and not from the elaboration of high-dying theork\ tiuit real help will come in solving the education problem. "No theory, merely astiiEOHY." Raid* a ureal r.brislum statesman, i4 >ivill carry you through. There is a point hi all thc.*o matters «it which i-lie indications of

of Christian instincts guide

us far more safely than the last preciee deduction from our general theory of the case. To say ?o is not. to be false to our theory, it is only to be true to something greater."