RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 35, 1 September 1904, Page 17

RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

'The total number of clergymen in t*e Colony,' said Mr. Seddon on the same occasion, ' is 1039, amp if we take away the Roman Catholics, who ha,ve their own schools to a great extent, it leaves the total number at 87)0. The number of schools is 1754, which gives about one cletgyiman to every two schools. The total number of sidhiools in which religious instruction is given in this Colony is only 156.' The table given above shows (as orur Hierarchy pointed out) that only about one in eight of the non-Catholic clergy (as against about one in four ofl the Catholic clergy) takes the trouble of imparting religious instruction to children in the public sflhiools. No more deadly exposure could well be given of the tHue inwardness of the clerical agitation for sectarianisring the State schools at the cost of ihe general taxpayer. Our readers would do well to keep this iasiue of the paper, or to cut out and frame that damaging official table, for future reference.

this point in the proceedings the very rev. gentleman turned round and observed in stentorian tones ' Domin;uß vobiacum !' " It Was an Edinburgh paiper which gr\avely stated that " The Bishop of Argyll and the Isles sang Hadyjn's Sixteenth Mass " ; and it supplemented this remarkable item with the statement that •' the "Illvurifer was swung gently to and fro in front of ihe Altar." '

o o .5 a JS M ci lei en. Lay ■eachers. Education District. §22 tMD "8 S OS 111 .2 a ■3 o X a at a o a § os at I 3I 3 o v a! i a il 6 o 1 33 O a> be < - o '3 H 3 o Eh O 2 — I '— i — — Auckland Taranaki Wanganui Wellington Hawke's Bay Marlboroatfh Nelson Grey Westland North Canterbury South Canterbury .. Otacro Southland 414 71 155 149 77 60 122 31 35 207 71 214 150 27 14 2 1 13 ! 3 7 1 1 ... i - \'"\ 2 i 1 14 26 2 2 I ... 5 2 1 .. 1 6 21 2 35 23 4 ut" ... ... 1 ... ffi ... ... io 6 n 5 ye n 12 11 ... I 2 I n ot ye n ... 2 1 2 14 2 13 1 ■ '"i i i "i ... ... A 5 2 2 ... "'I i ... i ... ... ...j ... ... 1 ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 41 18 23 13 27 "4 *8 3 12 14 10 2 ... ... ""I ... ... 45 14 13 13 io 2 3I3 I 1 2 9 1... ... ... ... i 11 5 12 56 19 25 13 3 1 .. ... ... " '"i '"i 2 - ... ... ... ... ... -I ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Totals -____i _^____^i , — - — 1,754 156 57 32 38 16 2 1 150 22 17 i 5 2 1 1 7 56 .206