BISHOP AVERILL'S VIEWS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15858, 2 September 1913, Page 8

BISHOP AVERILL'S VIEWS.

■ PROPOSAL QUITE FAIR. (FP.OM OCR OWK COHRE9POKDENT.) WELLINGTON, September 1. " I have never been .in favour of any previous attempt to have religious teaching in the schools," declared the new Bishop of Auckland IJiishop Averill) this evening, when approached for his views on this, subject, ."but," he continued, '"I am in favour of tho present, platform of the Bible in State Schools League because it seems to me to be absolutely fair l t0 ( every denomination, and to all concerned." The previous proposals had, he-said, been open to serious; objectioti because they seemed unfair to tho Roman Catholics on the one hand and unfair to the. State on the other. The platform' now advocated seemed free from these defects because it did not require the teachers to teach religion, and it aid not require the State to father any particular religious: system. The Roriian Gatholiqs- were fairly treated, because every denomination would have ctpial right, and would be able to send its own minister into the schools to teach the children the faith of their fathers. The State was fairly treated, because no State religion was asked but. merely that teachers should supervise reading lessons taken out of tho Bible instead of cut 'of the ordinary reading books, arid it was fair to_ the feaphers, because they were not- required to teach religion, but merely to see that the-children underStood the lefsons as well as they understood any other reading lessons.

ABSOLUTELY JUST. . "On these three grounds, therefore," said Bishop Averill, " It seems to me that the. thing is absolutely just. T further support the proposed ohange," he continued, ''because religious teaching was never put out of the ■ schools by the _ expressed wish of the people, and the various movements since then have shown _ that there is a wide spread desire for religious teachimr to be restored." The system proposed, he continued, had been in operation in Anetralid —in New South Wales since 1865,—and the testimony of experience was that there was no friction between the teachers and parentis, or between teachers and ministers, that the teaching was of undoubted value to the tone of the schools and tho children, and that close friendships ensued between the ; teachers and the visiting clergy. • Experience also showed that the difficulties predipted before the introduction of the scheme did not exist when it was out into ."efual practice. A REAL F.DUOATION.

"Again, I am in favour of .the proposed change, because no system of education can be a real education which' includes lonly one part of a ohil'd's nature, ; It is absolutely necessary, it seems', to me, jf our educational system is, to give a scientific and philosophic education, that we must not divide a child into two distinct parte, and say that one part can be educated, in one place and another part in-. another place. We must have-a .system in wWch the whole faculties of the • child' can , bo developed at the same time, otherwise wo shall be making a dualism where there ought only to bo unity. POLICY NOT PRINCIPLE. "With regard to the teachers," Bishop Averill went on, "in spite of what has been said*, I do not think . there _is any general feeling amongst them against tho ■Bible or against Bible teaching in schools. Some teachers have- declared, to me that they would welcome the right of entry, of the clergy." The real difficulty was, he said, that teachers had the idea that if the system were introduced difficulties might b"e crentcd between the boards and committees, and themselves. Generally speaking the difficulties of many teachers would "be removed if the whole system were centralised instead of being, administered by boards as at present. The public did not understand that that was why . the tcaohers opposed the scheme. In some measure it was from tho point of view of policy rather than from principle on their part. Pcr.sonally he had always found the teachers exceedingly sympathetic towards the proposed change. Thfe difficulty about the overcrowded syllabus was easily removed, as an extra subfeet was not asked for. but mcreiv that the reading of the Bible should be substituted that of the ordinary reading book, REFERENDUM INEVITABLE.

"In his opinion," Dr Averill said, "this agitation would never ceaso till the people of New Zealand had been given an opportunity of expressing their opinion upon tho question. He could not help feeling that those who opposed the referendum were acting in a very fair democratic way. The country profctscd to be democratic, and if any large number of . people expressed tho opinion that a referendum should be taken on a vital subject, then it seemed to liiiu to be the duty of any Government to grant the request. In this case there were over 111,000 electors, for the name of every person had been checked who had signed (he request' for a referendum. Many more thousands could easily be secured." "I was glad to hear," said Bishop Averill, "Mr Massey declare to-tlay that he was in favour of moral and religious teaohirig in the schools, and I have i not very much doubt that When the Cabinet considers the number of voters behind this movement they will deem it prudent and wise to grant the request for a referendum."

SAFEGUARDING CONSCIENCES.

"Wo arc most anxious," said Bishop Averill, in conclusion, " to: be absolutely fair to everybody—to all religious denominations and to those who are members of no religious denomination at all—and therefore one of the points on which wb most st rongly insist is the conscience clause, for the parents so that no parent need have his child taught in any way differently from what he is taught at the present time. But we come to this position: People talk about the oppression, of tho consciences of the majority which obtains under our present educational system. We believe that' the majority of the people of this dominion want Bible teaching in the schools, so that under the present system their conscious beliefs are 'being violated. What we want is a change, so that those who wish it may have Heir children taught Scripture lessons. At the same time, however, we do.hot want to compel any persons to have thejr children taught if they ' conscientiously 1 ohjebt. That is a fair position'to tnke up. and it is becauAe the programme of thii* present agitation- is so fair that I support it as heartily ea I da." -