Wellington Independent WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1871.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3307, 20 September 1871, Page 2

Wellington Independent WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1871.

Never was there so much interest taken in education as since the introduction of Mr Fox's bill, of which the letters occupying so much of our space to-day are a sufficient proof. In all parts of the colony the bill is being carefully scanned, and it is satisfactory to know that the more it is studied the better it is liked. As usual in all Education Bills, the religious difficulty crops up always to the surface. The compromise in the bill pleases the moderate, but the colony is now- threatened, as the Hon. John. Hall well remarked in the House, " not with the intolerance of sectarianism, but with the intolerance of secularism." The extreme secularists speak and write as if an education without reference to God or a future state was a very common reality, instead of being a manifest impossibility. In no set of books used in any school are there not references to the Bible, to the Saviour, to the rise and spread of Christianity, to Church history, to Church festivals and offices, &c, which even under any secular system the teacher must expound, if he would adopt what has been called the intellectual system of education. Children cannot be taught reading (and good reading is an accomplishment very much neglected) without being made fully acquainted with the meaning. Even in Chambers's series, a so-called secular series, several of St Paul's addresses, and the General Thanksgiving out of the Book of Common Prayer, are given as exercises in elocution. In all the elementary reading books too religious truths are directly inculcated in language more or less simple. Thus in oner greatly in vogue, in what Mr ■ Bathgate calls the " undenominational" system of Scotland, the pupil spells out in the very second ppge " JSTo man can say he has no sin, for all men sin ;" and a great mauy dogmas not so generally, accepted. Every page of §|jstory is religious instruction of some or °^ ier * cm '^ s history of "England, not even Charles Dickens's, can; lbe[ read as an intellectnal exercise j by the pupils without their receiving i therefrom religious impressions of some sort or other. The story of the geo- j graphy, as told by Mr Stafford, was an amusing illustration of how the religious element inter-penetrates all our school literature. In our higher schools Milton and Shakespeare are studied, and no teacher can explain them to any purpose on a purely secular system. Unless children can be taught to read words without understanding them, and unless school books can be made of " elegant and instructive extracts" from a literature purely secular, the advocates of a purely secular system of education are contending for a shadow, j Religious instruction, in spite of all their efforts, will be given. Goorl teachers cannot teach without giving it both directly and indirectly, li' the secularists would carry their views thoroughly out they must have purely secular teacheis as well as purely secular books. A teacher without a religion, and a literature from which the name of God is excluded, are antecedent conditions to a purely secular system. No ; the whole thing is a delusion. It is as unattainable as it is undesirable. We have shown in former articles how the religious difficulty has been solved by the London Education Board, and, having mentioned this, it may be well, leaving the subject of secularist barren theories, to give a brief resume of the scheme they have adopted — some of its features being strikingly suggestive in present circumstances. We gather our information from a London paper, not having seen the report of the board itself: — It is something in favor of the scheme that it does not attempt much that is new. The education to be given under this board is much like that already given in good national and British schools, but it will doubtless be better given, because it will not be hampered by the two great difficulties which have alieady beset voluntary schools — viz , narro.v means on the part of the managers, nnd irregular attendance on the part of the children. The board has almost unlimited means, and it has the power of compulsion. These will enable it to do what no managers of volun tnry schools could do under the old system. The school boord has the key of tho situation and the command of circumstances. It states truly enough that efficient and economical teaching depends upon two conditions — first, the regularity of the attendance of the scholars; and second, on the clue proportion of the teaching power to tho numbers to be instructed. The board can fulfil these conditions. This is the

very point of tho "\vholo matter. It marks the difference between voluntary and rate-supported schools. The school board sweeps away at a stroke the evils which have hitherto obstructed all voluntary efforts. The scheme which it proposes _ is suitable in all respects to overflowing populations. It contemplates the arrangement of schools in groups, to consist of an infant school, a junior school, and two senior schools. The infant schools will be mixed, i.e., containing boys and girls ; the junior school may be mixed, but not necessarily ; the senior schools will be for boys and girls separately. The infant schools may contain from two hundred to three hundred children ; the junior are not regulated as to number. The seniors are to contain, if possible, about five hundred each. It is stated that it is easier to work large schools than small schools, and this is agreeable to experience, provided ample means be forthcoming. The teaching staff for a school of five hundred children is to consist of one principal teacher, four assistant certificated teachers, and eleven pupil teachers. Instruction is to be given five hours daily for five days a week. Children withdrawn from religious teaching are to occupy the time by secular subjects. The committee discourage corporal punishment, but do not prohibit it ; the head teacher is to be responsible for it. Some portion of music and drill is to be taught in every school. The Bible is to be read and explained, and such moral and religious instruction is to be given therefrom as may be suited to the capacities of children. The subjects taught in senior schools are to consist of reading, writing, arithmetic, and English grammar, together with, in boys' schools, mensuratiou. Science to be taught in all schools for two hours a week. Such is the scheme ; and those who have had practical acquaintance with elementary schools wilfcvji^the first to acknowledge that, if it v ca"rFbe carried out, it will be a vast iraprove/iteht upon what is being done at present. We shall take an early opportunity of considering some of^lf^Jeading principles.