SECTARIAN SCHOOLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21103, 13 August 1930, Page 12

SECTARIAN SCHOOLS.

MINISTER’S/ BENEVOLENT ATTITUDE. PROTEST BY THE P JLA. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, August 12. Criticism of the benevolent attitude of the Minister of. Education (Mr H. Atmore) toward sectarian schools Was made at the annual meeting of the Dominion (Council of the Protestant Political Association to-day. The 'council also re* corded a protest a'gainst the extension of dental clinic facilities to private* schools. The following resolution, was carried,' and it was decided to forward it to the Prime Minister: —** Our council views with grave anxiety and concern the press reports proving .that inroads are being m&de on the settled policy of our national system of free undenominational and compulsory, education -by attendance at the: opening-, of sectarian schools, the spending of public funds on and the eulogising of the work carried on in these institutions by the Minister of Education. It expresses the opinion that the weeds of the national system of education'are sufficient to-de-mand the whole of the Minister’s time and energy.” . It was also decided to,bring the. following resolution before the Prime Minister; ‘Believing that the present system of election of sub-committees of householders and the election of boards of education by committeemen is entirely democratic, and in the best interest of the national system of education ad now existing, our council deprecates any alteration system as suggested by tbe Bill now before the House in favour of centralising power and authority in a department of State. It also points. out that the system of national education is being further encroached on by the extension of dental clinic facilities to other than the national schools and. reiterates its opposition to any such extension to private schools. .