RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22492, 30 October 1944, Page 2

RELIGION IN SCHOOLS

NO RECOMMENDATION MADE CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION (By Telegraph.—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday After spending the whole of Wednesday afternoon and the greater part of this morning on the subject of religion in education, the education conference this morning found that it could make no recommendation. A motion by Mr A. B. Grant, Federation of Labour, that the conference reaffirms its continued belief in and support of the present system of free, secular and compulsory education in New Zealand, opened a lively discussion. An amendment requesting the Minister of Education to set up a 'consultative committee to investigate and report was lost by the narrow margin of 39 votes to 37. Many of the delegates refrained from voting.

The discussion was brought to a close by the carrying of an amendment stating that, on the subject of religious education, there was insufficient representative authority and not sufficient growth of unity in the community for the conference to make any pronouncement or recommendation.

A committee set up. last Wednesday to bring down a report sat for many hours, and finally submitted to the conference a recital of the present position and the working of the Nelson system without making any recommendation. The committee suggested in connection with a proposal to legalise the Nelson system that, before any legislation was enacted, a conference should be called by the Minister of representatives of the Education Department, education boards, the New Zealand Educational Institute, and Churches. This conference, it was suggested, should consider the form of any proposed legislation, the determination of an agreed syllabus of instruction, and the method of accrediting instructors.