BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 168, 21 July 1908, Page 2

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

CHRISTCHURCH, July 16. The town of Kaiapoi is considerably interested just now m an agitation for the commencement of Bible classes m the local school. At the annual meeting of : householders it was proposed to take 7 4 plebiscite of parents on the question ofgiving up half an hour of school time each week, but the proposal was strongly opposed by the head master (Mr W. D. Bean),: who issued- a circular to parents asking them to vote against the proposal; He urged that the time at the teachers' disposal was already too short for teaching the sixteen subjects required by the syllabus. In Bible classes discipline would probably suffer. Enough moral teaching was already given. All the teachers were opposed to the scheme, and w-ithout their co-operation little good could be done. Religious instruction might give rise to comparisons and feeling, and, if they wished, the ministers could take classes before or after school or on Saturdays and Sundays. The four ministers at Kaiapoi replied with a circular which . categorically criticised Mr Bean's assertions, and urged the people to support their own claim. They sent out , voting papers, and 174 parents voted for religious instruction and 46 against, while 24 did not return the papers. On Monday evening the ministers reported^ the result of tbe poll to the School Committee, asking them to allow classes to be held from 11.30 a.m. to noon on Thursdays or Fridays, but were again met by the head master's obections. The Committee decided to allow the head master to express his views at a special meeting, and the question is hung up m the meantime.