BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 843, 11 December 1929, Page 18

BIBLE IN SCHOOLS

INSTRUCTION BEGINS AT DEVONPORT PONSONBY PARENTS FAVOURABLE Yesterday morning, for the first time in the history of the Devonport School, religious instruction was given under the terms of the decision made recently by parents and the school committees. It was arranged that no distinctions should be made in the denominations of the children who were taken in their classes by the following: The Rev. H. B. Wingfield (Church of England vicar), Standard 3. The Rev. W. Lawson Marsh (Presbyterian minister). Standard 5. The Rev. Mr. Hosking (Congregational minister). Standard 4. The Rev. J. F. Martin (Methodist minister). Standard 6. A Salvation Army officer was to have taken Standards 1 and 2, but was unavoidably absent. The instruction, which took the form of preliminary talks and Bible readings, lasted from 9 a.m. to 9.20 a.m. It will be carried out henceforth every Tuesday at the same hour. DECISION AT PONSONBY It haa been decided by the Ponsonby School Committee to ask the Auckland Education Board to introduce the Nelson system of Bible in schools The voting in response to the committee’s circular was as follows: Richmond Road, for 247, against 96; Ponsonby. for 177, against 93; Curran Street, for 167. against 60; Bayfield, for 145, against 37. Totals, for 736. against 286. The committee in its circular stated clearly that if no reply was received it would assume that the parent was favourable to the scheme; but the figures given take no account of those who did not vote and are the totals of actual votes returned.