THE OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 40, 31 January 1874, Page 7

THE OTAGO EDUCATION BOARD.

At a lute meeting of this body, among the matters that came up were the following : — ' - KEXIGIOTTS IXSTRr/CTIOX IN SCHOOLS IN OTAGO. A lot of correspondence and evidence on this subject, and understood to embrace the evidence taken at the late enquiry regarding thu giving of religious instruction in the Tokomairiro Grammar School,, ca - ne up. * Ilis Honor : The question is, should this be printed ? Mr Bastings : I think it should. Mr Gillies : I think it should be printed. Ilis Honour : With the evidence? Mr Gillies : Yes, wilh the evidence — not for the value of it, but for satisfaction. Ifc was agreed that the correspondence and evidence be printed. INroIIMIXG PAUEXTS, re WITHDRAWING CHIUDREX. Mr Gillies, during discussion of a matter, made a suggestion that the clause o( the Act bearing upon wi'h drawing children from religious instruction shoirU be printed on the school fee accounts to ensure that parents sa.v ir. His Honor (to Mr Gillies) : Do you wish to make a formal motion on what you were suggesting ? (To Mr Hi-lop.) I would like to hear your opinion. MrHislop: Would it not be sufficient when a child entered a school that a letter should be sent lo the parents? Mr Gillies; The difficulty, as in the ease of Father Coleman, is to find whether the child conveyed the message to the parent. If the matter wa3 printed on the fee account there would be proof that, ith-ad been made knowu to the parent. In Ross's case, Ro^s swore hs told the boy to tell the father. The boy said he did, and the father that he did not. Hi.-* Honor : It is bringing the matter more prominently forward than is expedient Mr Gillie 3 : It is the reverse in my opinion. lam of opinion w© have given it too much prominence by instructing committees ami teachers. Mr Turnbull : There is a very strong impression out of doors, in which I share to an extent, that the tone of those regulations is favoring to those who wish the Bible banished from the school or anywhere else. His Honor : It is in that light that I make the remark. Mr Gillies: Our instructions I think hive placed the matter in that light. If the parents are informed, the schoolmaster is relieved of the rcsuousibility —if the parents don'.t withdraw their children it is theirowniuu.lt. The difficulty in the case of Father Coleinan \va3 ta prove that the parent got the notice. You can't expect to go round to each parent and mention tho matter personally. Mr Bastings : I think, too, it is giving the matter too much pro« minence. I think there is hardly a person in the Province who has children who is not July aware of the effect of tha regulations. Mr Gillies : I think so. T think the prominence has been given by the special instructions. I think it a pity tho Board went out of its way to give instuictions. . Mr Hiflop explained. The instructions issued by the Bo.\:d were based on resolutions of the Provincial Council, and wtra almost iv the very words of the Council. The Board was almost instructed by the Comcil. Mr Gillies stid he was not blaming the Board. Mr Turnbull : Well, lam almost inclined to agree with Mr Gillies's suggesti >n. Parents without 6uch an arrangement migli* shelter themselves under the plea that they had no knowledge. His Honor: 1 am inclined to agree with Mr Bastings, and let it stand as it is in tho rreantiine. The discussion then dropped.