The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1878. EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 264, 24 May 1878, Page 11

The New Zealand Tablet. Fiat Justitia. FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1878. EDUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND.

X another column will be found "An Appeal,'' from the Catholics of Oamam, signed on their behalf by ihcir pastor, the Rev. "W. Coleman. We earnestly invite the attention of our readers in tins country and elsewhere to this Appeal. The object the Catholic people of Oamavu have in view is toproridt a truly Christian and Catholic education for their children, and to save them from the irreligious and demoralising- influence of Government schools — an object which will not fail to enlist the sympathies an secured the aid of good Catholics everywhere ; and not -only of good Catholics, but of sensible men of all denominations, as is amply proved by the list of subscribers to the funds liow being raised

to pi*ovide Christian Brothers' schools for Oamaru, a portion of which we publish this week.

The state of things in this colony in reference to education is as follows. Last session a law was enacted establishing free and secular education, that may bo made compulsory by each school committee. All aid is refused to denominational schools. The ■ existence of these is not recognised by the Government except for the purposes of taxation, — recognised, then, only that they may be discouraged and punished for daring to exist in tiie country. Now what does all this mean? It means that the inhabitants without exception, Catholics as well as non-Catholics, arc compelled by law to contribute largely to give free and secular education in common schools to the children of one portion of the community, to the exclusion of the children of the other portion. Then in addition, secondary or grammar schools are richly endowed at the common expense of the public. Their .sites, buildings, and apparatus are provided entirely at the public expense, the salaries of their' teachers are largely supplemented by a generous public, and .the fees arc consequently light. And lastly, a godless university has been established and well endowed by the State.

This entire system, from the common schools to tlio university, both included, is godless, and, of course, anti-Catholic. Practically, and, under the circumstances, inevitably, Catholics arc excluded from all tries--- educational institutions. Catholics are not to be found in their administrative- bodies, Catholics are not to be found in their halls. When we say this we are not to be understood as enunciating a proposition that lias no exception. There are a few exceptions," but these only prove the rule, — ixceptio firmat regulam. In the senate of the New Zealand University there are two Catholics, the Bishop of Wellington and the Hon. Dr. Grace, but they are there because under its constitution it is possible for Catholics to establish a purely Catholic college in connection with the university, and we live in hope of seeing this effected some day. There are also a few Catholics, members of school committees, perhaps half-a-dozen in the entire country ; but not one is to be found in any of the great centres of population, in Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, &c. And in most instances these Catholics, members of school committees, are the last men in their community to whose care Catholics would be' willing to confide their children.

To all intents and purposes, then, Catholics are excluded from Government schools — Common,. Grammar, and University. In these institutions the governing 1 bodies are all antiCatholic, or, at all events, non-Catholic. In all these institutions the teachers of Loth sexes are, "with three or four nificant exceptions, anti-Catholic, or at least non-Catholic. And so intense is the anti-Catholic feeling in the Boards and Committees that the highest possible qualifications must infallibly fail to secure for a Catholic an appointment on the teaching staff of any school in. a populous district. We do not deny that possibly a person calling himself or herself a Catholic, particularly if disloyally disposed towards the Church, might be appointed master or mistress in some insignificant outlying district, where it is not easy to provide teachers of any sort. But what we fearlessly affirm is, that no genuine, practical, real Catholic would hare the remotest chance of being appointed to any Government school in important places, such as the largo towns of the colony, or the well settled country districts.

Moreover, in the Government institutions no Catholic hook is admitted, no Catholic influence is exercised, no religious feeling fostered, no religious principle inculcated. On the contrary, the schools are all purely secular, non-religious, consequently anti-religious. The teachers, tone, and influence of all these institutions are hostile to Catholicity, and even Christianity ; for the highest of all authorities has said, " He that is not with me is against me." All this we know from experience to he fact. Some Catholic children , t wo arc sorry to say, have been subjected to the influence of these schools, and in. all instances which have come under our observation, and these have not been a few, these children on returning to us have invariably manifested a shyness and a dread of the Church and its ministers, which it was most painful to behold ; attd their ignorance of the principles of their faith, and the ordinary facts connected with their Church was profound. The fact is, if Catholic children frequent these godless Government schools, they cannot escape serious injury to their faith, morals, and intellectual development.

Now, with us Catholics, faith is the paramount consideration, hecausfc as the Apostle Paul teaches, " "Without faith it

is impossible to please God, and he that believeth not shall be condemned." And we regaad the salvation of the soul as of vastly more consequence than the whole world. " What," says the Saviour, " will it avail a man to gain the whole world and lose liis own soul ? " Knowing, therefore, the dangers to faith and morals inseparable from these godless schools, for our own experience is fortified by the teaching of our Church, "which tells us that such schools are intrinsically dangerous -to faith and morals, we arc bound to , withdraw our children from these schools, and to leave nothing undone to provide good Christian and Catholic schools for them. This the Catholics of New Zealand are doing so far as they can. This it is -which the Catholic people of Oamaru now propose to do. Their object is amongst the highest at which man can aim ; in the great effort they are making they ask the aid of good men of means in all quarters ; and we sincerely hope they shall not be disappointed.

This appeal would not be necessary were the Government and Legislature of the country to act wisely and justly in the matter of education. There are means in abundance at the disposal of our rulers to bring education, real Christian education, to the door of every child in the community, if only these were fairly administered. But, under the present arrangement, there is crushing taxation to fasten upon the couutry an extravagant godless system of education, •which, while pressing most unfairly and heavily upon Catholics, is, nevertheless, insufficient to satisfy the greed of secularists. The legislature of this country insists on giving free education to people who do not want such education, and who would prefer to contribute an equitable proportion of the expense «f their children's education ; and, on the plea that the religious difficulty prevents the establishment of a system tinder "which denominational schools should be aided. This, however, is a mere pretence, suggested by hatred, on the part of some of Christianity, and on the part of others of Catholicity. And, through the supiness and jealousy of Christians, to their shame be it said, the enemies of Christianity and Catholicity have succeeded in establishing a system of education calculated and intended by its original advocates to undermine the basis of all revealed religion.

But this is not all. So intense is the hatred of Catholic schools entertained by those who are at present in. the ascendant in New Zealand that every effort made by us to establish new schools or improve old ones is, owing to the legislation now in force, met by what may be termed a new act of hostility. For example, the Catholics of Oamaru are at present exempt from taxation for their school, because out of love of education they use their church as a schoolroom. But no sooner shall the new Catholic schools be finished, than they shall be compelled to submit to crushing taxation for doing that for the public good which has cost them and their friends so much labour and so many sacrifices. And this crushing taxation they must submit to, whilst supporting these schools entirely themselves, and at the same time compelled by law to contribute largely to maintain godless and hostile schools. This is a vile penal system, diffpring in almost nothing from the old tithe system which forced the Catholic people of Ireland to build churches, kepp them in repair, pay parsons, and provide all necessaries of worship for the exclusive benefit of their Protestant fellow subjects. The same spirit of bigotry and injustice, though acting in another direction, is as rampant in New Zealand to-day, as ever it was in the old country. The eloquent member for Caversham lately told his constituents that he would prefer the old system of education under which teachers were obliged to open school with the reading of the Bible, and that he had voted against this in deference to the views of Catholics, and in order that Catholic teachers might be eligible. The same in substance has been said by others, notably *by some Protestant ministers ; and it has been asked why we cannot accept what non-Catholics think just, good, and safe enough for themselves. If these concessions have been made we have not asked them, nor have they been made at our suggestion. Again, -who are these Protestant ministers that they should undertake to regulate our conscience by their measure ? If non-Catholics can accept Government godless education, surely that is no reason why •we should be bound to do so. Is it not ckfiflhat if nonCatholics have not all they wish, they have, at all events, what they can accept. Not so, however, with us. We cannot accept godless education; and it is a piece of wanton tyranny on the part of non-Catholic.s to insist on our submitting ourselves to the guidance of anti-Catholic and godless principles. This principle carried to its legitimate consequence would justify the abandonment of all principle

religion, and morality, under the exigencies of circumstances, and at the mere bidding of others. But this we may not and must not do.