EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 17944, 1 May 1928, Page 9

EDUCATION OF CHILDREN.

RESTRICTING COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA.

(Unitea Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) ' (United Service.) (Re'ceived April 30, 5.5 p.m.) „ LONDON, April 29. Sir G. H. Hume, M.P., is presenting to Parliament the Seditious/ and Blasphemous Teaching to Children Bill, aiming at the elimination of Compaunist Sunday schools. The Bill suggests imprisonment for four months or a fine of £SO, or both, for persons convicted of so teaching children under- sixteen, and penalties for reading and selling seditious and blasphemous documents to children. Sir G. Hume says: “I want to prevent the teaching of the doctrine of hate instead love:” EMPIRE DAY IN THE SCHOOLS. i BILL TALKED OUT. * (United . Press Association—By El.ctrie Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, April 27. .. In the House of Commons, Mp G. J. C. Harrison (Conservative) moved the second reading of the Empire Day Bill, providing for all elementary schools to close at noon on May 24. Sir Thomas Davies (Conservative), as an old schoolmaster, in seconding the motion, suggested that the forenoon of Empire Bay be spent in schools instructing children in the potentialities of the Empire. Mr A. V. Alexander (Labour), in moving the rejection of the Bill, said that the precedent might be followed by demands for school Holidays to celebrate May 1 or Co-operators’ Day. Mr Alexander said that he was once permitted to question schoolboys on history, and found that they knew the names of all Henry the Eighth’s wives, but had not heard of Robert Owen or the dates of the jbunding of the cooperative and trade union movements. : .Mr J. Maxton (Labour) described the Bill as a fraudulent myth. Empire 'Day was associated with objectionable militaristic practices. The Bill was a pettifogging attempt to use the schools to propagate the Tory conception cf patriotism. - Lord Eustace Percy (President .of the Board of Education) said that local authorities should be consulted before deciding on the holiday. There was r.o reason why the Bill should not be seconded. Mr G. D. Hardie (Labour) said that if they wanted to teach children roal English history, they should tell them tho story of the Portland, Atholl and Percy families. Why was Ear] Haig’s diary to be kept secret for years ? Was the truth so damnable that children could not .be allowed to it? . . 'The Bill was talked out.