To the Editor of the Otago Witness.

Otago Witness, Issue 238, 21 June 1856, Page 3

To the Editor of the Otago Witness.

urn,— In my last letter, I considered that the subject to be educated is man in his twofold capacity of an intellectual and a moral being, and that Governments in legiil.ttiuK "for a system of National Education, should provide for the education of the whole man— that the proprr place which the Bible ought to occupy in a School is for the religious training of the pupils, and that the tparhor himself is the most proper person to whom this duty should be entrusted. I have wo sympathy. Sir, with those who would have Civil Governments, as such, not to interfere with any matter that wears a religious aspect ; but I hold that, in virtue of the position which they occupy, they incur a Greater responsibility unto God tor thpir official doings ; and the happiness and welfare of nations, too, are most materially concerned in our having men to rule over us in the fear of the Lord. The more regard p-iid to God and his truth on the part of Civil Rulers, the more may we expect the blesMng of God to descend upon the nation over which they bear rule ; and the converse of this principle is equally true, that the more they disregard God and discard his truth in their official doings, the more detrimental must be the character of their rule, and the blast of God rather than his blcssini may be expected to follow. These remarks, Mr. Editor, are not foreign to our subject, for if Civil Governments will deal with the matter of National Education at all, let them take into account the moral elements of the question, and provide for it accordingly by enjoining the Bible to be taught in every School. The question of Civil Governments adopting any particular creed as the standard of the doctrines to be taught in Public Schools is a more complicated one, and I forbear giving an opinion upon it, not that I consider it unimportant, but because the Education Ordinance for this Province does not call upon me to oppn up the subject. I think the Government of this Province have done well in enjoining the Bible to be taught in every School, in the meantime leaving the particular phase" of the religious instruction to be communicated in any particular School to the judgment of its District Committee.

Having made these preliminary remarks, I come now to the more immediate subject of inquiry. Whilst the proper person to impart religious instruction in Schools is the teacher himself, it is for parents and all others interested to take special care that teachers be properly qualified for the discharge of this important trust. From what has been already said, I conceive that no one will reckon it a matter of indifference to what religious denomination a teacher may belong ; but while it is a matter of importance that a teacher belong to a sound E vans4elie.il Church, it is a matter of infinitely greater importance that the teacher be a converted man, a living disciple of Christ, for this is the best security against error, and it will moreover give a tone and zest to his instructions, which nothing else can yield. While the more especial attention paid of recent years to the training of teachers in Britain through the Public Schools of the country, and moreover through the establishment of Normal Schools, in which great care is bestowed on the religious instruction of the pupils — whilst this fact, I say, holds forth great promise of progress in the art of teaching, and in the quality of the education communicated, still it is a matter of highest consequence that the public should be satisfied that the individuals to whom they commit such an important trust should be qualified not less with respect to their religious sentiments and character, than with respect to their intellectual acquirements for undertaking such a charge.) The public must be understood, then, in any system of National Education, to delegate the power of testing the qualifications of the respective candidates for office to some indi-

vidual or body in whose judgment they may confide. I wish it to be particularly observed, Mr. Eiiitor, that this is not the least important provision in any Education Ordinance, as upon it depends the welfare of the future nation, whether we view it with reference to intellectual power, social comfort, or religious character. Having now noticed the proper person into whose hands the training of the young in the Educational Institutions of a country ought to be entrusted, and the mode of his appointment, I offer a few remarks with regard to the mode of imparting religious instruction on the part of the teacher himself, and its influence on the moral charactpr of the young. You are now supposed to enter the arena of the Public School ; and after solemn prayer unto God for his direction and blessing, the teacher appropriately opens the business of the day with the Bible lesson. Here you may observe that all the pupils capable of reading the Sacred volume are collected from the various chides of the School, and combined into one class for instruction in Divine truth, and for the cultivation of their morals. The lesson prepared at home is now entered on. "We shall suppose that the lesson is part of the historical narrative, and in that case difficulties are explained in the course of reading, examination is afterwards made, and practical lessons are deduced from the narrative such as the subject is calculated to yield. Or again, we may suppose the chapter read to be of a doctrinal or practical nature throughout, and in that case, after clearing up the meaning, the, minds of the pupils are instructed in the doctrines, and the practical lessons are urged upon their observance. Now, Mr. Editor, let me ask, may not the greatest advantage be expected to result from the daily lesson in the best text-book for the cultivation of the moral powers, carefully studied, prayerfully undertaken, and whose practical instruction is both interestingly and affectionately applied by the teacher to his youthful charge ? Can any more wholesome influence be brought to bear upon the order and discipline of the School? And can any better preparation be made for the due discharge of the practical duties of life, than this thorough training in the doctrines and precepts of Divine truth. — I have the honour to be, Sir, respectfullj yours,