TRAINING SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 16

TRAINING SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS.

SCHEME BEFORE THE SYNOD. For some time past an active committee of Presbyterian ministers and laymen has been preparing and advocating' a scheme by which it was proposed to combat the growing carelessness of the younger generation tin regard to matters religious, with extended and more active operations on _ the part of the Sunday schools. The committee suggested that efforts-be_ concentrated on the work of better equipping Sunday school teachers for their important duties, and believed that this might be secured by appointing a lecturer on education in connection with the Theological College; that under his instruction and guidance the theological students should teach in the Dunediri and suburban Sabbath schools: that he should lecture to Sabbath school teachers, confer with superintendents, give model lessons, that he divide his time between the different centres of the pro* vince, and that his salary be £4OO, with £SO a year travelling allowance. The whole matter was brought before the Presbyterian Synod on March 23 ?or adoption or otherwise. Mr W. S. Fitzgerald said that the scheme formulated for the training of Sunday school teachers had been considered by the Presbyteries, with,the following' results:—Oamara and Southland disapproved; Clutha disapproved' of the scheme* in the meantime; as being' uhpraoticable; Dunstan approved on condition that congregations were not required to make special collections; Diinedin recommended that the scheme receive the favourable consideration of the Synod: Mataura made no return, but he understood that the scheme had been " received." He confessed that the result somewhat disati-

pointed him. Even if'the Presbyteries did not approve he would have been: pleased had .they off ered suggested amendments' of the scheme. In spite of this he intended to move that the scheme be adopted by the Synod. Something nad to be done. There must be soon a drastic alteration in the conduct and scope of their Sabbath schools. This revolution had come elsewhefeir' and it would come here. The conditions were now so vastly different from. what they were two or three -generations back. At the present time they had in the schools the .children of parents_ who. themselves, had never received any religiose instruction. What was to be expected fro ■ x such homes? They could understand tlio difficulties with which 'Sunday school teachers were now faced, and how the coi; - -mitiee; while appreciating the noble," seliEacrificing- efforts of / present : day Sunday school teachers, was anxious to better eou! » them, for their supremely important work. They must have felt the '.weight of the words of Sir John Madden; : the Australian judge, who regretted the lack of the religious sense in young Australians. God forbid that they in New Zealand should reach that stage! But while not there they were on the way. Ask Mr Axelsen! Ask Mr Cumming! And il tbey were on , the way towards it let them check it. And that was what the committee was asking for just now; Here were : the • means, it said : let -Oke Synod use them. ; ■■■• He went on to show what was beina- done in other.parts ■ of the world with respect:to increasing theefficiency of the Sundav schools. Mr Fitzgerald then read particulars of the committee's proposals, and' moved that the scheme be now considered by the Synod. The Rev. P. B. Fraser moved as an amendment —" That the proposal regardincr the appointment of a lecturer be referred to trie Theological Committee to take into consideration, the whole question including Sunday school teachers' training: in the curriculum of the theological students ; n the future; that the vemainder of. the scheme be referred back to the commit*<»e for a report on its financial aspect for next Synod." He had no doubt that. " grand schemes" of this nature would apply very well in lara*e town schools, but thev were altogether impracticable—so far as the country was concerned. The husy farmer or farmer's wife- who teHsrht a class on Sunday afternoon, was not likely to be tremendously impressed with the aopointment of a. lecturer. —(" Hear, hear.") Financially the scheme was again unpractieable. Five hundred pound a vear was far too much to spend on this work. The amendment was carried by 28 votes to 11.