DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11415, 19 December 1917, Page 4

DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS

• 1 11 ■■ SIR R. STOUT’S VIEWS. A SOCIALLY DISRUPTIVE TENDENCY. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Dee. 16. Sir Robert Stout, when asked by a "Star” reporter if lie had seen the proposal by some ministers of the Presbyterian Church that that Church shoWd start denominational schools, said ho* had read the published reports. He did not think it would affect education at all, because he felt certain that the people of New Zealand would not become denominational at the dictation of any church. Ho was much surprised that any Presbyterian should start such a suggestion. As the descendant of Presbyterians and therefore familiar with their ways, ho always thought they had minds of their own, and were not at all likely to follow the lead of other churches. On the contrary jn the past the Presbyterians had led and not been led. It would be very peculiar if the Presbyterians of New Zealand forgot their ancestry and followed the' example of the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. But whether tho ministers did or did not desire such a thing, he felt sure that the Presbyterian laymen would not allow the whole education of the Dominion to bo in the hands of the churches, and that was what denominational schools means. It would be a disastrous thing for the nationality of New Zealand and for , its patriotism that our children should bo taught in different schools. It would be the very thing that would destroy the growth of brotherhood and weaken the ties amongst citizens. s The war had shown that people of all creeds and nationalities could unite for a common purpose and for tho benefit of humanity. It was certainly not for the promotion of brotherhood that our young people should be so • trained as to exalt the •hureh above the nation and above humanity. It no doubt spoke well for the liberality and the wealth of Presbyterians that they could afford not only to maintain their church system and their churches and their ministers at proper salaries, but to engage in primary school education as well. There miight be some excuse for their starting colleges os secondary schools, because many Presbyterians had in the past sent their children to denominational schools that were not of the Presbyterian communion, and such colleges would provide for the children the parents of whom objected to sending them to secondary schools where the children of all classes met, but he was of opinion that if brotherhood was to be encouraged, our young people of all classes should meet even in the secondary school as they did in Scotland. There the laird’s son sat beside the labourer’s son and the cottar’s son, and because of this unity in the schools the • youths from the schools had helped to push Scotland forward to the position, she at present occupied. That was his view of the matter. However the question was argued in reference to secondary schools, it was quite clear that the State could not afford to set up de--1 nominatioual primary schools, and if tho churches could, it showed that they must be very liberally sustained by their people. It remained to be seen what the people would do, but he hoped that such a scheme as had been proposed, which would tend to destroy national unity, would never be endorsed by the true patriots of New Zealand.