BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15433, 20 April 1912, Page 10

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

INTENTIONS OF THE LEAGUE. (Ficon Ova Own Cokkesi'ONl'FNt.) CHRISTUHURCII, April 19. Tlie decision of tJio ruprreoiuativo liiblc-in-Schools Cotiierenco, held iu Uhri&tchurch yesterday, to lavow tlie uitroducuon of tlio system oi religious iiißtruouon now obtaining in Now bouui Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, and West Australia is gejiorally regarded ue opening a now oliaptor in tho history of tlie movoment. Tliu new leaguo does not anticipate that it will aoluuvo its objects without carrying through a vigorous educational campaign, lie leaders tool that the general public viow tlio proposed alterations to tlie national system of education with a good deal of suspicion, and ono of the objects of tho leuguo will bo to satiety tho public that its requests are legiliinuto and proper.

interesting remarks were made today to a Press intorvicwer by the ltev. J. Mackenzio, who was appointed secretary of tho league. '• Thero will, no douht, bo a certain amount of opposition at tlie beginning," he said. " Even in our own churclios tho people are by no moans unanimously in favour of religious instruction boing given in State schools. This, however, is very largely duo to a misunderstanding oi what is being asked for, and our hope and expectation is thai when they realise how satisfactory the proposed system is Uioy will bo with us. The league" will probably appoint an organisor who will bo familiar with tho workings of tlio Australian scheme, and ho will endeavour to oduoato tho people on the subject. At present thero is a widespread feeling that largo numbers of ohildrcn aro growing up not only in ignorance of scriptural troth, but also very largely in ignoranco of groat moral prinoiples."

-Mr Mackenzie explained that under Iho Australian system religious text books were prepared by the Education Department, and the seripturo lossoiu; wcro taught in school hours by the teachers in tho same way as other subjects wore taught. Tho instruction so given did not include tire teaching of any distinctive tenets or dootriiies of any denomination. A " conscience clause " provided that no child should be compelled to receive scriptural lessons should its parent or guardian object, but experience had proved thai a very small proportion of tho children had been' withdrawn from the clashes. Tho "right of entry" during school hours was given to ministers to instruct the children of Ihoir own denomination in the doctrines of their faith. The text books prepared by tho Queensland Education Deportment were 'lughly satisfactory, and thero was no reason why similar text books should not bo prepared by the Now Zealand Department. Aa to tho 'Tight of entry," tho conditions under which that should bo allowed would bo largely a matter for the department. Regulations could bo drawn up and entry given subject to thorn. That, however, was a detail which need not bo discussed until the general principle wob conceded. " It ought to bo emphasised," Air Mackenzie said, " that tho advocates of this system stand solidly for tlio maintenance of our national system of education. Alany of thorn hold that tilio only way to preserve that system is to broaden tho definition of secular education, so as to include. Bible teaching and to irivo entry to ministors under conditions that will prcscrvo unimpaired the high educational standard of our State schools."

A toachor in ono of the city schools who takes somo interest in religious and social work, offorcd somo commonts on tho movement. Ho expressed tiro opinion tiiat tho movement in favour of Biblo teaching in aihools was essentially an ecclesiastical and not a popular one. It would bo rather interesting, ho wid, if ministers first took a referendum of the office-bearers of their ehurclK'3, and ascertained how many of thorn read the Bible to their families. Tl»y would probably find that this was dono by a very small minority. If tho referendum were extended to communicating members of the chun-hon the minority would be still moro pronounced. The movement was a mechanical rathor than a spiritual one. School attendance being compulsory in New Zealand there would be an element of compulsion in the religious instruction, the conicience clause notwithstanding. His own impression was that the proper urn was not made of tho Sunday schools, and el jrroat deal could bo done in lluit direction. Children attending Sunday schools got a good knowledge of tho Bible, and imbibed a strong religious sentiment Tlrcvt fact could bo testified to by many families who had pawd through tho Sunday schools. Ho did not. care in the meantime to discuss tho attitude which teaohem generally might adopt except to say that in somo cafos teachers of a particular denomination might be nenaliscd.

On the other hand, tho league quote the opinion of Mr Cecil Andrews (Irujpeetoreoiioral of .Schools in Western Australia) to the effect that "no sectarian difficulty has been feund hy the department in the "working of the system. Tho State jchool tonohors find no difficulty worth montioninir in giving the lion -sectarian religious tonching-. Less thnn 5 per cent, of rho childrnn have been withdrawn from tho non-sectarian religious instruction."