Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1886. Religious Teaching in State Schools.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1909, 1 December 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1886. Religious Teaching in State Schools.

The little city of Nelson has just had an exciting contest to decide whether the State schoolroom should be used for the purpose of enabling religions ins traction to be imparted after the ordinary school hoursIn order that the matter should be thoroughly tested, the whole of the School Committee resigned, and a meeting of the householders was called. That a great deal of interest was taken in the question may be judged when our readers learn that the Provincial Hall was crowded with 800 adults, the largest assembly that has ever gathered in that building. There were the seven vacant seats on the Committee, and it was arranged that those persons who were in favor of religions instruction being given should nominate their candidates, and write the names on a blackboard ; the opponents of religions instruction to have a second black, board for their candidates, and those who declined to identify themselves with either party to have a third. Then the candidates were proposed and seconded, and when this necessary proceeding was finished it was found that those in favor of religious teaching bad nominated five candidates ; the opponents to this had nominated four, and the third party only two. These two candi • dates only polled 45 and 17 votes respectively The real struggle was between the other two parties, and the opponents of religious instruction being given in the schools carried the day, patting in their four men with a total of 1840 votes, the sup. porters of the proposal only securing three seats. But for all that the voting showed that the people were in tavor of religious instruction being given, and had the religions party been satisfied with nominating four candidates instead of five they would have won the day, for the voting in their favor numbered 2285. Probably in January next the tables will be turned. We say plainly that we are not in favor of religious teaching being given after hours, because it would be too much for the children after the studies of the day, and because we do not believe the religious denominations would carry out any systematic and continuous system of religious instruction. The question arises, Who is to teach and .what is to be taught? And judging by the unity at present manifest throughout the Church, there would be very little in the religious education of the young, and the fruits, in a little time, would be painful to see.