CORRESPONDENCE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4969, 17 October 1890, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

• RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN STATE SCHOOLS. TO TBE EDITOR OF THE TIMARU HER.VLI>. Sib, — Your leader of Ibis morning by no means represent? the. public opinion of this district m reference to tho introduction of Bible reading into the public schools. Tho question nas maw time ago submitted to the test of a vote of the parents, and by an overwbelming majority they declared themselves m favour of bible rending j and Ihero if no ground for supposing, that their opinions have materially changed eince that vote was given, except, that with a large number the conviction has de»pened, that the exclusion of the Bible is one of tlio biggest blunders ever mtde m connection with legislation m our colony. Ido not know on what grounds you b-se your assertion, " that a large majority of the religious people of this colony are strongly m favour of the State system of education being maintained, on precisely the same footing as it occupies at present, m regard to the inclusion of religious teaching • " but Ihia I know that wherever the question has been directly submitted to the test of n voto, the result has been tho same as m this district, an overwhelming mnjority m its favour. And of this also I am certain, that if it was left to the several districts, to decide whether or not religious instruction by means of Bible reading was to be given m the sclijolb, thero would be very few districts where it would not at onca be introduced. In tho course of your article you blame the clergy for " not covering the field " with religious teaching Bupplemantary to the secular education of the State schools ; and state that " the remedy for irroligion, m as far as it exists, is to be found m increased activity on the part of the clergy of tbo various denominations " lam sure that the clergy, notwithstanding all their faultß and failings, have sufficient moral earnestness to adopt and carry into effect, any feasible, "organisation operating side by eido with the >eculiir system of education." you, or others, may be able to point out, by which the terrible want m our State system of educa tion may be supplied. And as you soem to see no difficulties m relation to such organisation?, while Beeuing insuperable difficulties to the inciueion of Bible teaching m tho regular school course, I for one will be deoply grateful to you if you will become our instructor, a* well as our castigatnr, and I am sure that you will earn the eternal gratitude of many besides myself. I am, &c, , W. Gulies.