RELIGION IN SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15064, 10 February 1911, Page 5

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS.

MINISTER'S UNCOMPROMISING

ATTITUDE,

" FREE, SECULAR, AND COMPUL-

SORY."

(Per United Pitisa Association.)

AUCKLAND, February 9. An important speech was delivered this afternoon by the Hon. Geo. Fowl3s, Minister of Education, which took the form of a reply to recent public criticisms. The occasion for the Minister's remarks was the opening of a new school at Grey Lynn.

Mr Fowlds, after complimenting the district on the acquisition of such a fino school, went on to say that it was now nearly five years since he accepted the position of Minister of Education. At that time the whole education system was up for criticism, and he quite recognised that the holding of the office was attended with considerable risk. In the intervening years considerable improvements had been effected in the system. "The status and salaries of the teachers had been much improved, and this had resulted in a more contented and enthusiastic spirit permeating the whole profession. The four training colleges had got into full swing, and were annually turning out a- larger number of more efficiently-trained teachers than had ever been done before in the history of the Dominion. Great progress had also been made in the organisation of technical education, including agricultural education, during those years, while the free place'system had brought the benefits of secondary education within the reach of many children who would otherwise have been excluded.

The Minister then went on to say that he had always avoided anything in the nature of political partisanship in the administration of tho department. Many of his political opponents had publicly tes■titied to this fact. He was equally glad to acknowledge that in passing legislation for the improvement of the system, he had received generous assistance from the members of the. Opposition. In fact, he could say that ever since the passing of the Education Act iu. 1877 all parties in Parliament and the great bulk of the people of this country had been united in support of our national system of free, secular, and compulsory education. It was true that there had been agitators in favour of a change in tbo direction of introducing Bible lessons, but when the great mass of the people had the opportunity of speaking at election time tho verdict had been unmistakably in favour of maintaining the existing system, which had served the country, so well, " The present Government, like all Governments that have gone before it sinco 18(7, stands by the present system," con tinued the Minister, "and so far as I am personally concerned I have on every occasion when offering my services for Parliament declared unequivocally for the maintenance of the existing system, and rather than bo a party to any fundamental change, I should prefer to be excluded altogether from tho" public life of the Dominion. The will of the people must provail in education as in everything else in a. democratic country, but I am certain the, democracy of this country will lookcritically at any proposal which would tend to lead us back into the dangerous and unsatisfactory bypaths of denominationalism from which we escaped, after much tribulation in 1877."—(Applause.)