ABUSES OF DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3305, 18 September 1871, Page 3

ABUSES OF DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION.

TO TIIE EDITOR 01' THE INDEPENDENT.

Sib, — I am afraid that many who at present advocate the cause of denominational education in this country are unaware of the ulterior tendencies and abuses of that system. We see even much respected and loved clergymen, with truly good and pious intentions, udducing in your columns the most innocent arguments, which show utter innocence of the subject on which they write. Even of the speakers in the House, but a Bmall fraction seem to know the tendencies and abuses to which that system leads in a new country, where overy possible religion is represented. Having been a teacher under that system, both in the old country and tho colonies for upwards of twenty years, and having beon the secretury of large teachera' associations under both systems, where the advantages and abuses of these Bystems were regularly discussod, I often feel inclined to grind my teeth nt the absurdities advanced by ignorance or design in favor of this svsteni.

As an example, our much respected Archdeacon, writing to you, argues thus: — " Tho denominational system has certainly not failed in Wellington, and it cannot bo proved to have failed in England ; therefore it is no failure, and is tho best system we can have ;" an argument which assumes that Wellington is all the world, and England next to it. But passing over the logic of tho argument, tho Von. Archdeacon must not flatter himself that Wellington has any system all, or that education here has not been itself a dead failure ; moreovor, England is not New Zealand, and what is good for tho one is not necessarily good for the other.

Another example from tbe same writer : " In America the peoplo fight with each other ; they illuso (ho nrgro ; they §carry weapons of defence; tlie law cannot afford pereonal security ;" " tho secular system is adopted there," " therefore that system has failed." This assumes that immorality can only result from the educational system of a country, for if it could result from anything olee, that thing might have been the cause in America. Now America is a continual aggregation of the elements of every nationality upon earth. The people who flock to it are bearing tho fruits of the systems of education and religion of thoßO countries whence they came, and if

thoy are immoral must we not trace in the corrupt tree which has been transplanted the evil seed whence it sprung, possibly developed by vicious systems of religious education in other countries during the lapse of centuries. If the facts adduced by him prove anything, they only prove that the secular system was adopted in America as the only possible one. Really, sir, the good people of New Zealand should allow that there are just as good people in America as there aro here, and as zealous and far seeing, and that if it had been possible for them to have established a better system they would have done so. With all respect, wo think that clergymen should not put forward a respected name to support an argument in matters beyond tbeir own sphere, in which of course we all concede to the religious experiences and opinions of a good and pious man ; but beyond that let us have argument not man. Reviewing the speeches in the House on the Education Bill, I do not find a single speaker alive to all the evils of the denominational system. Some, indeed, foresee that it will create a'multiplicity of small schools all over the country, but few estimate correctly the damage that will result from such a state of affairs to "the cause and the cost of education. The smaller a school is it is the worse a school, for many reasons. Classification cannot be carried out, which is an immense loss to progress — the advantages resulting from division of labor is lost — the services of good teachers are lost ; for in small sohools the teacher must bo poorly paid ; the enthusiasm engendered by numbers is lost ; the discipline is lax, and the " public opinion " of the school, which is a powerful instrument of morality in the hands of an able teacher, is nil. The school is a little world where boys learn the principles of the great world, but if this little world is reduced to zero, or, at best, to a little dirty family, its preparatory effect for the great world ia lost; and, lastly, the cost to the country is enormoue. In short, wo have the worst possible teachers, the worst possible educational conditions, and hence the least possible educational effect, at the greatest possible cost, under the denominational system. And all this for the doubtful advantage of having a smattering of religious knowledge, miserably taught and worse exemplified. But the evil does not end here. The strong denominations grab the schools and proselytise with the very money which the smaller ones contribute. The country is divided by clear lines into contentional areas. Teachers aro appointed not on their merits as teachers, but from tho service they will render to their churches. Religious polemics become the primary, and education the secondary object, and all at tho expense of the country. Other abuses creep in, which was largely exemplified in Victoria. The Church of England school, say, in Borne country district, requirca a teacher, and it happens that the congregation at the same time requires an organist, especially when his services can be got for nothing — a leader is advertised for — and are astonished at their discomfiture by some miserable drivlling, merely because he can play the harmonium or ring tho bell on Sundays. Take another case. A Presbyterian congregation, say, requires a church to worship in— the congregation is small and poor, and cannot raise the means ; the education board is applied to for aid to build a school: it is duly built and fitted up with pulpit, suitable |seate fortbe congregation, &c., but anything but suitable for the master as he piles up on Monday morning the uaoless furniture in some corner out of his way, to be replaced by him again lor Sunday use. A Wesloyan teachers in addition to his sterner duties, finds that he must command the fair brigade in tho tea fights, and finds himself at a discount if he has the misfortune to be a married man. Or the school being built on church grounds requires a fence say, the board is applied to, and money from tho education fund is forthcoming, the fence surrounds the school, aad also goes all round the church at tho same time. Or, as often happens, a teacher is engaged, he is to have a fixed sum of, say, £100 from the education fund, whatever that is, he is to have another hundred guaranteed from the committee should the moiety of the fees not reach that amount, tho teacher is energetic and raises the school, and the moiety of fees more than covers the guarantee ; but the teacher, happy man, does not receive the reward of his industry, but aces tke honey of his gathering applied to congregational purposes. No wonder that Ihe denominational system is tho best in some quarters. But one thing is certain, that it is not tho best for the teacher who has made a study of his profession, and wishes to raise it above, the paltry strife of religious jealousy or clerical domination. And it must be remembered that whatever injuriously affects the toucher affects the system in tho same way, for the efficiency of any system varies as the teacher. "As is tho teacher, so is the school," is an axiom in education. The above abuses aro not of fanciful, but of real occurrence, as I have often seen exemplified, and which would soon be exemplified here were the same system adopted.

It was these' abuses rampant in Victoria which induced that Government to swoep the whole denominational system away, and the same will result in New Zealand when parties have made the foolish experiment. The very men who are at present unduly active in its favor will be the very first to see their error. Suppose donominationalism, pure and simplo, established at present as they desire, could they agree about the division of the spoil ? How is it that the great majority of tho clergy in Victoria are now in favor of secular education ? Just because they have aeon its abuses. Are the clergy of New Zealand any wiser or more pious than they, or is it merely ignorance ? It ia true that tho bill before the House ia not professedly a. denominational one, but practically it is so. Should the religious clauses not bo struck out of the act, it will happen that wherever there is a Catholic funnily, there will bo a Catholic school j that is quite certain, and there are few school districts where such will not be found ; besides, many other denominations will prefer to take advantage of tho aiding clause, in order to have their own catechism taught. This being tho case, tho establishing of provincial schools will be impossible ; for either the provincial schools will starve the aided ones, or the aided schools will starve the provincial ones. Thus the uct becomes a purely denominational one in practice. The principle of aiding particular schools out of moneys raised from tho general public, is one of great injustice. On the same principle, and with equal justico might wo rute a district to afford luxuries to particular individuals, as rate a district for the luxury of particular denominations. Wore the schools purely secular, and they car easily be made so, equal justice would be dono to all, and this would bo found in practice to sutisfy every one, with the exception perhaps of the Catholics to whom a concession could bo easily and justly made by exempting those who belong to this persuasion from tho education rates, allowing those who chose to take advantage of the secular school by paying a school fee equal to tho cost per head of children attonding such school, which could easily bo found from the records of the school committee of that particular school, and by paying over to tho authorised head of that denomination their proportion, as per census, of any monies voted by tho General Govornmont, on proving that bucli proportion was used by them for tho purposes of education. This would bo strictly just and easily workable, but if tho schools were made purely aecular, probably this concession would not bo asked for. Apologising for trespassing bo far on your. — I am, &c, Public Teach eg.