BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 50, 14 December 1905, Page 4

BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS.

THE NEW SOUTH WALES PLAN DISSECTED.

Some of the Bible-in-schools advocates in New Zea- . land favor what is known here as ' the New South \ Wales plan. 1 It is simply the *method which was adopted in Irelaad— and long ago discarded— for weaning the youth of the Green Isle ' from the abuses of Popery.' We have had our say upon the subject many a time ; but so much fiction has been spun around the system by its New Zealand advocates, that the following article by Mr. J. P. Kelaugher, a public school teacher, in a recent issue of the ' Timaru Herald,' cannot fail to be of interest to our readers. Mr. Kelaugher writes :—: — The manifesto of the Biblc-in-schools League says, inter alia, ' New Zealand stands almost alone in excluding the Scriptures from its schools. The Bible is read daily in all Schools in England, Scotland, New South Wales, Western Australia, and Tasmania, and in considerable portions of the United States and Canada, and in most of them distinct religious teaching is given.' The following facts and figures will prove what value such a statement as the above has : In many parts of United States, Massachusetts, for Instance, the results of religious instruction in schools have been such that Catholic school teachers are practically barred from all appointments. ' The Bible is read daily in all schools in England,' says the manifesto. What of the 1002 Roman Catholic elementary schools (open in 1903 irv England) .' I challenge the authors of the '.manifesto /to verify their statement. Another statement from the manifesto : 'We repeat, therefore, there is not an elementary school in England in which the Bible is not read.' On August 31, 1903, there were in England 1062 Roman Catholic elementary schools with 405,535 pupils. Since when have the Catholics started Bible reading in schools ? The statement in the manifesto is evidently, a gross misrepresentation of facts. (The writer is under a misapprehension in assuming that the Bible is not read or taught in the Catholic schools.— Ed. N.Z.T.) Mr. John Morley, M.P., may surely be taken as an expert authority on English educational matters. These arc his words : 'My ov/n view has been, ever since I began to think about public things, that you will never come to a wise settlement until you have removed altogettter thai hand of the State from religious instruction. Religious instruction is a thing for the parents. It is not a thing for the Stale; and I tor my own part can never be cordial towards any policy, any changes in policy, which do not recognise the principle that the State is concerned with secular things and has no concern with the religious things ' The manifesto says : ' There is not the slightest sic;n of public dissatisfaction with this system (i.e., Bible reading in English schools). Does not the above tell a \ery difleicnt tale 7 Now we come to Australian colonies I have prepared a few figures, and foe all my figures I am prepared to give the best of authority (English and Australian). Bible reading in scheols is carried on in New Scyuth Wales, Western Australia, and Tasmania Now study these figuies (percentages are approximately correct)

Pbivatb Schools, 1903.

These schools are practically all Catholic schools. In Sydney the Church of England has 23 day schools, with a total of 2834 pupils. (A) Percentage of Roman Catholics in State ; (B) percentage of school children in State attending private schools.

It will be seen that the effect of Bible reading in schools is \to increase the number of private schools (and for private school^ can be read Koman Catholic schools). In the three States where there is Bible reading in schools, the percentages of pupils in .private arc 20, 22, and 2iG, while in the other States thej 'percentages arc 14, 11, and 17-£. This clearly shows that Catholics make greater efforts in Bible reading States to keep their children out of the State schools than they do in the other States. It is easy for the New Zealand Bible-in-schools Party to say that the system works well in those three Australian States. My figures go to show that by far the greater part of the Catholic children of those States do not attend the State schools, but are taught in their own Catholic schools. I quote the manifesto again : 'If a child hears a portion, of the Bible read every day ; if the hard words are explained to him ; and it the teacher docs his duty by seeing that he remembers what was read on the previous day he is at any rate receiving elementary instruct tion, /which iwill greatly facilitate the task of the Sunday school teacher and the clergyman.' I wonder how many of the authors of the manifesto have had experience in primary school teaching. There are plenty of subjects in the school syllabus now without adding the above burden to the lot ot the publu; school teacher. To do what is required (according to the manifesto), reading, explanation of hard words, and memorising, would take a teacher in an ordinary school nearly an hour a day School teachers will be grateful to the party for their thoughtfulness in suggesting a little more work. Another quotation : ' But it is not true that tho clergy have neglected their duty m this respect ; we could mention many places where they do teach m the schools, so tar as it is possible for them.' It would be most interesting and inst ructi\e if the authors of the manifesto would quote figures showing how many Protestant clergyman have been giving religious instruction outside of school hours to children in i the public school;; of this Colony. Figuies would prove their statement. Here are two extracts liom the Australian Oihcial Year Book, l!JOr> : 'In South Australia, if the paients desire it, the minister may require the teacheis to read to their children a i^rtiou of Scupture for a quarter ot an hour each morning before the ordinary school work begins, but the leading must be ' without note or comment ' The regulations are silent as to the selection of the passages to be lead and as to any conscience clause in fa\or of the teachei . but this is of little consequence as, \irtually, no Scripluie redding has been asked ' In \ictona and Queensland no teacher is allowed to give any other than secular instruction many State school building This clause was inserted m the Victorian Aci on the motion of Air. Wilberforce Stephens, who declaied that i1 was intended a-> a protection to the teacheis and thai, as far as the Go\eininent was awaie, the geneial let ling v. as in favor of such a protection ' I hope ihe Rible-in-schools- Paity will read them carefully. They are woith leading and worth thinking about In conclusion, J wish to state that, although I am strongly opposed to Bible leading m schools, I am not one of those ' persons who look upon Christianity as an idle or noxious superstition ' The iollou niu, e\ trail is from the \uslralian Year Book, I'll]") — Education (WeM Australia) —'The teaching m the Goveii'inent schools is strictly secular, but the Bible is read, withoul comment, half an hour before school begins, to childien whose parents express no objection to thci attending same' Will the Bibie-m-schools League mlonn me if Bible redding is part of the West Australian schools' v. oik 1 ' How can it be when it tnKes place ' halt an hour before school begins ?" _™____

ATnl her ATai v Josephine, Superioress of the Convent of Mercy, Mount BaiKer, celebrated hci sii\er jubilee in the religious lile on Is o\ ember 10 Dr Dunne, Bishop of Wilcannia, was pic-ent at the celebrations. The annual spiritual retreat for ladies, to he 4 pi cached by the Re\ . Father Kell\, SJ, at the Conveni of Hie Sacied li'eart, Timain, begins on .I.inuary 17. Ladies des'ious of at i ending should apply without delay to the Rev. Mother. Messrs Simon Brothers, the well-Known Loot and 'shoe importers and manuf.u liners, George SI , Dunedin, and Main Road, South Dunedin, usk their fi lends and patrons to lemember that their assoilment of new season's goods is excei)tionaliy choice, and that a study of their price list will pro\e that money can be saved by patronising this firm. .

1S)O3. ST. s *. Wj,!ea H Australia ra°maT>ia Victoria W. Australia JS No ot t-tat Scholia, 279.3 1006 715 336 lfll'2 202 te No. of Pupi on Roll. 2 1-3,51 6 97,306 61,977 24,595 213 622 24 267

!>w Rru:h Wale 3 Jueeiihlami muth Australia ... 'asmania r ictorin S^estcm Australia Schoo s. 841 181 205 177 757 92 Pupils on R 60,116 15,721 10,269 8 842 45,077 6,757 10l

j\. j.l. <"ew South Walea 3ueenf<land ... ■*. Australia rarmania ... Victoria West Auttralia Per o< n*. 25 2t 14 174 21 i 2U Per opnt. 20 •* H H 26 17* 22