STATE SCHOOLS.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20625, 28 May 1935, Page 6

STATE SCHOOLS.

Aim to Prepare Only for Temporal Life. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. The declaration that the State schools were not going far enough in preparing their pupils only for temporal life was made by the Rev Father D. H. Hurdley, Provincial of the Society of Mary, in an appeal yesterday at the Commemoration Day celebrations at St Bede’s College. “We are not challenging the State,” he said, “ nor are we building in opposition to State schools.” At present the State ignored Roman Catholic schools. They were allowed to build their schools and conduct them, and they Were thankful for that, but when they asked for assistance it was denied them. The great mistake that was made by the legislators was in thinking that the State school and the Roman Catholic school were working on parallel lines, said Father Hurley. The Roman Catholic school gave everything that the secular system offered, followed the same syllabus and maintained at least as high a standard, but it was not running on the same lines and their destinations were poles apart. “ The secular school develops the individual—we specialise in the development of personality. The destination aimed at by the State school is temporal life—we aim to prepare our students for all life to come,” said Father Hurley. “Cultural progress external to the personality has no real significance. Take away all temptations and moral character will break all records in virtue. Repeat a large number of facts and in time the student will assimilate some of them. Stirround him with beautiful objects and his taste will improve. All three, though they help, will not make a moral character, a cultured personality, or a wise man.” Not Far Enough. Examining the State education system Father Hurley said that in preparing its pupils for temporal life it gave them an education that could bring them wealth, pleasure and satisfaction. In the opinion of Roman Catholic educationists it did not go far enough. The Church held that it was more important that destitution should be banished, than that wealth should be increased; that pleasure and happiness did not mean the same thing; and that satisfaction depended not on what one had, but on the relativity between what one had and what one wanted. Perhaps in asking for State aid they might be misunderstood, said Father Hurley. They were not asking for a dole, but merely for recognition for the work which they were doing. Everything which the State demanded in its system of education was provided for in the Roman Catholic Schools.