BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16534, 29 December 1927, Page 11

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

“PARENTS LARGELY IN FAVOR” LEAGUE WILL PRESS FORWARD At, the Christmas Night service held at Knox Church, Dunedin, the Rev. E. O. Blamires, Dominion organising secretary of the Bible in Schools League, stated that a retrospective glance over the past year’s activities showed that, despite inability to secure an alteration in the Education Act in Parliament, very valuable progress had been made, 110 claimed that it had been demonstrated that the system of education that allowed no reference to Biblical material was unpopular. No adequate explanation of Christmas could lie given m primary schools, although to those m New Zealand the life of Jesus was the central fact of history. There was nothing more unpopular in Now Zealand to-day than tho entire scciilavity of the primary school system. Roman Catholics and Protestants alike denounced it.

During the year, a widespread effort had been made to discover the attitude of parents. In all tho principal centres parents were requested to vote for or against, the Bible in schools. Between 32,000 and 33,000 votes had been recorded, each vote representing one family. Otago had been most thoroughly worked, every school in the area- having been listed, and 86 per cent, of tho votes were favorable. In Canterbury, a large area, more than double the number of votes were recorded. Auckland area returned about the same as Canterbury, and in Canterbury, Auckland, and Wellington over 80 per cent, of the votes were favorable, Even in the least favorable province, Taranaki, 72 per cent, were favorable, so that it could be stated without a shadow of. doubt that parents were desirous of seeing the Bible in schools. Throughout the Dominion to date 25.478 family votes had been received in favor and only 5995 against. So much was said these days about the rights of minorities that it had become necessary to contend that majorities also bad rights. It was passing strange that valuable material found m the Bible could not be used in any way in primary schools. The leaguo was more determined than over to carry on in the assurance that its policy was educationally sound.