MEANING OF PRAYER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24431, 17 October 1940, Page 8

MEANING OF PRAYER

BEGINNING THE DAY’S WORK EDUCATION BOARD’S ATTITUDE A recommendation to the head teachers of all Otago schools which do not begin their day’s programme with religious exercises that they should begin every day’s work with a repetition of the Lord’s Prayer was adopted by the monthly meeting yesterday of tlie Otago Education Board. In keeping with the recommendation, the board decided to begin its own meetings with the Lord’s Prayer. .. The first suggestion was made by Mr W. M. Cooper, who said that a similar decision made by the Wellington Board had met with general commendation. Mr W, D. Sutherland seconded his motion. , _ • It was pointed out by Mr D. C. Cameron that most Otago schools already began the day with religious exercises —repetition of the Lord’s Prayer, a Scriptme reading, and a hymn. Otago had led the way in that respect, and its example had now been followed by almost every other province. “ We are now finding the real meaning of prayer as we never before appreciated it,” said the chairman (Mr James Wallace), when he suggested that the board should begin its meeting with the Lord's Prayer. There could be no suggestion of transgressing upon the religious beliefs of any teacher or anyone else, he added. If, however, a difficulty of that nature should arise, ■t should be possible for a teacher to make other arrangements.

CONTRARY TO LAW LORD’S PRAYER BANNED EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S DECISION ‘ I (Peb United Press Association) WELLINGTON. Oct. 16. A direction from the Education Department that the decision of the Wellington Education Board to permit the recital of the Lord’s Prayer in the schools in its jurisdiction was contrary to the law and must not be proceeded with met with opposition when the board met to-day. A majority of the members argued that there should be no bar to the voluntary recital of the prayer, and a resolution was carried statins that the decision reached was a matter for the board and the school committees and not for the department. , . , , The secretary reported that two letters had been received from the Director of Education, Dr C. E. Beeby The first stated that the matter was a very controversial one. and he asked for the board’s legal authority for the step. He also asked the board to defer action on the resolution until the legal position had been made clear The second letter stated that it must be clear to the board that it had not in law authority for the direction it proncsed to give. , , After referring to a section ol the Education Act and regulations govern-, ing the conduct of public schools, the letter concluded: “The provisions which refer to the authority of the board, which do not operate in the present instance, serve to emphasise that the board is purporting to enter a sphere in which the department alone has authority The proposed instruction therefore, an be of no effect, and I should be glad if the board would see that it is not proceeded with. Mr T. W. McDonald moved that the lett from the Director of Education be received and that he be informed, first, that in reply to his first letter the board sees no reason why it should obtain a legal opinion in this particular instance any more than in several other instances where it previously dealt with the same subject: secondly, that in reply to the second letter the decision of the board, to have the schools opened daily with the Lords Prayer is a matter for the board and school committees and not for the department; thirdly, that the resolution of the board has already been put into operation . After an animated discussion, the motion was passed by nine votes to three. .