THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 1911.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15183, 30 June 1911, Page 4

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 1911.

Tititun .soniowhal, important references to the (jiiintioii of religions instruction in State schools have been published in our columns this week. I'irst came the statement of the eomniittee appointed by tlie Presbyterian General Assembly to report on the New South Wains system. Next, there was the reference by the liishop's Commissary in his address to the Anglican Diocesan Synod ill Dmmdin, And, finally, there was the announcement that an interdenominational conference in Ghristehureh had expressed approval of the principle of the New South Wales system. Tho Anglican General Synod has already pronounced in favour of that system, and the resolution on the subject which tha Synod of this dioccse passed last night on the question went, entirely in tiie direction of Dean Fitdiett's invitation—tint is to say, declaratory of its " readiness to malco any necessary

sacrifice in beginning, maintaining, anA carrying to success a campaign to the settlement of this form of education in New Zealand." The important feature uf the New South Wales system, it is well to remember, is that any minister of religion is entitled, within school hours, to give instruction at a primary school to the children there in attendance who are members of the religions society or denomination, of which he is the minister, dining one hour on such school day or da.ys as the cominittco or governing body of the,, school may appoint. This is the arrangement which the Anglican Church is desirous of seeing introduced in New Zealand. The Presbyterian Church on tibs other hand, if it endorses the report of tho ■committee set up by the General Assembly to consider the question, will take up a different position. The committee has decided that it cannot recommend the adoption oi the provision made in New South Wales for religious instruction by visiting teachers, This provision it views unfavourably, because "the time for secular instruction is unnecessarily restricted to four hours during each day, and the provision that the children of different religious persuasions shall receive religious instruction on different days is unnecessary and will make for disorganisation of the secular course and the weakening of discipline." Ths committee adds that it has good authority for believing that these conditions of which it docs not approve are not now enforced in New South Wales. Such approval, therefore, as the Presbyterian Committee accords the New South Wales system merely takes the form of a recommendation that certain noneoctamn teaching through tho medium of selected books or otherwise should be given in the schools, and that, as under the Now South Wales system, " secular instruction " should be held to include general religious leaching as distinguished from dogmatical or polemical theology. .Thus, so far as the adaptation of - the Now South Wales system to the educational needs of this country is concerned, the verdict of the Presbyterian Church promises to be by no means one of general approval, since the committee which lias been considering it would eliminate the most distinctivo feature of that system, and the Presbyteries and sessions which will have the matter before them prior to its consideration by the Assembly will probably, in at least a majority of cases, be of the same opinion. The expression of such divergent views on behalf of two influential denominations only sho.ws how much disagreement still exists concerning the preciso objective to be striven for by those whose zeal in the ca-uso of religious instruction in schools does them credit, even if it be misplaced, and how that disagreement is reflected) in the religious communities themselves. With such e\ idence at band it seems quite unnecessary for us, despite the confident tone that marked the speeches ol Dean Fitchett and Archdeacon Richards last night, to regard the introduction of the New South Walos .system into the schools of this, country as at all a contingency that is as yet within the sphere of practical politics. Holding the views we do as to the necessity for safeguarding the secularity of'our educational system, we are content to believe that it is well that such should be the case. By the supporters of the New South Wales system the evidence that it is working most satisfactorily in the Commonwealth States in which it has been introduced is said to be strong and overwhelming. Apparently, however, it has failed to convince one denominational committee at least, the members of which were disposed, we should imagine, to give the merits of the system careful .and sympathetic consideration. . The criticism of the Presbyterian Committee beans out, indeed, in d measure the contention that the new South Wales system embodies features which arc calculated to retard tin real interests of education.