PRAYERS IN SCHOOL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24432, 18 October 1940, Page 9

PRAYERS IN SCHOOL

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT’S ATTITUDE ANOMALOUS POSITION EXISTING RECOMMENDATION BY OTAGO BOARD “ In view of the instruction conveyed by the department to the Wellington Education Board that it is not legal to open school with the Lord’s Prayer, said the chairman of the Otago board. Mr J. Wallace, at the meeting yesterday. " many of our teachers may be in a quandary as to what they should do. Up to the present the Otago board has legalised the position by requiring school committees to pass a resolution taking out of the school day the weekly half-hour for religious instruction of the daily five minutes fcr opening devotional exercises Already about two-thirds of our schools have religious instruction, devotional exercises, or both—approximately 11.000 oupils out of 17.500 participating. “The matter of opening with the Lord’s Prayer can be legalised by school commii %'es passing the requisite resolution taking those few minutes out of the school day Should this be dene, dr has the time arrived for us to turn the blind eye to the Education Act which in this respect is hopelessly behind public opinion. There is no doubt that the desire for religious instruction in our schools has been increasing—particularly, so in the matter of opening with religious exercises. This desire has been intensified since the outbreak of vyar and the realisation of need for Divine help. “The position is entirely anomalous.’’ he continued, “According to the Act primary school children up to Form II must have entirely secular instruction, but as soon as they pass into Form 111 and enter a secondary school there is no objection whatever to the day beginning with prayers. It would be a fine thing at the present time if every school in New Zealand were to open not only with the Lord’s Prayer but also a suitable prayer of intercession on behalf of our fighting forces gnd the men, women and children of the Homeland who are facing the perils of. war day and night. “ Education boards and. school committees are much closer in touch with public opinion in this matter than the Education Department and the Government.’’ Mr Wallace concluded. “ and it is ridiculous that the Education Act should continue to say that instruction must be of a secular character when the public want it otherwise. The board trusts that the head teachers of all schools which do not at present open with devotional exercises will adopt the board’s recommendation—it is not an instruction —that the school day be commenced with the Lord s Prayer.” The chairman’s opinion met with the unanimous agreement cf members.