A SUGGESTED FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION

New Zealand Tablet, 22 November 1906, Page 12

A SUGGESTED FORWARD MOVEMENT ON THE EDUCATION QUESTION

'V To the Editor^. 1 Sir, -^Amongst the Catholic people the conviction,- always ; strong, is deepening more and more, of., the. importance and absolute necessity of the maintenance of-, Catholic schools in. "their midst. 'lhey.kjSow that: it 'is only in a Christian atmosphere that the teachings -of,. ; their faith will take root and become a living- reality^ to them: Their" interest in their schools is neither ..'moribund nor dead, so far as their determination to .maintain them and send their children -to them is concerned ;• and the new generation of people, wRo .have grown up in them and realise even better than their parents the peculiar -difficulties and , dangers to which their children's fatth is exposed, are hardly, likely to relax in any way, in the good work which their patents have so faithfully performed in the past. ; ■It „ is not necessary to state' that the present - educational system has never been accepted by the Catholic' people, nor by their . natural leaders, the Bishops,^ - ■as satisfactory. Ey.cr" since its coming into force it hasbeen regarded " 'as a system .that is godless. To betaxed :for this system, while conscientiously maintaining our own schools where possible, was regarded - as legal /plunder and tyranny, and of course is still so regarded. At that time, the non-Catholic bodies tamely acquiesced, more or less, , in the new system, with the result that, whatever were their- views in accepting it, the non-Catholic clergy - are profoundly dissatisfied with the present position, owing no doubt to the nonChristian spirit of many of the rising generation. The Bible-in-sehools League have confessed trta failure in making any serious impression on the country in favor of their -views," as can be - seen from the 7 newspaper reports _pf the doings of . the recent Presbyterian Synod. This is what was to be expected. The .s^nse of justice and fair play of . the community is very, much alive. 'People can see that it is bad enough— if they will not see that it is unjust enough— for Catholics to-be taxed 'for schools which they cannot conscientiously, make ■use of, and if they do so -at all, it is only , in cases where there is no Catholic school available.' Theoretically, the public schools are- free to- all w.ithoutr prejudice to their religious . convictions, and so\their case looks 'plausible. But who would maintain -that in the school, where the child spends so. much, of his time ' each -day,'. " that • colorlessness . in religion, ;is> sufficient pabulum for training of the child-mind in the way it should go .and grow, ? . - _ . To, be. taxed for .schools where the -teaching in, religion jis a negation or- a blank.! ds wrong->enouglr and even tHiough everybody will not see -it unjust enough: ' But it you are to be taxed for the endowment of <k creed, jt-hat you regard as positively erroneous, while ,• 1 still having to maintain schools at your <own* expense , the' injustice of the double -taxation becomes clearer and hardly any less difficult to ,bear, I should think: Thlat the < Bible-in-schools people have-not made.-head-"way shows, not so much that their people are-. not . in- - terestett in' 1 , the /question,- as that they are unwilling > "an injustice that the, ends, of .?the Bible-in* League, however "good -in, .themselves, .may . be - ■vcarried. out. For if non-Catholics were to succeed •• in - obtaining what Bible teaching they may •.. -wish ias part •- ;bf the? public school puriieulum, however* . much they may • try to quibble, . the schools become irankly: de- ■< - jnomina-tional. I, do ..not say that . it^ would r not- be'a • good thing it that,_ were so, and. frankly accordingly by \ those who wislr-Bible- -teaching: in the • pubhp schools. It is at iKis juncture « that jMrr;J. A- ' Scott's suggested movement, as, .'L think,.' "comes sirf His - siiggeisted approach, to ,the heads of the. ■ different denominations would; whatever .its result, bear -fruit .

Catholics would-be; quite willing that Frtitest ants -teach - whatever amount of religion they thirik ; werf-oP iii : the public schools durinjg school hours (with a conscience "* clause, of course).,'. and '.let 'the Catholic's-fbe aclcqua't'ei'v remunerated for . the, Ocular -teaching' in' r 'theVschoo¥ provide^ it be .up to : e'ducsitionaT" stand- " ards of; the .department..' In' case no 'working a W ee _' ment^as ■the^result^f; the -conference, could be Arrived '- at, Catliphcs wouM;a,t any, • rate-have * done all in their" 1 S?£2 V * ?i m T %:? i B al ipn,,a'nd > - J s6'plear the field'; moie fully to enable" the .public to - comprehend" and meet their just -demands.— l am; -"etc. J , :-..- Catholic Presbyter> ; ;dtoK- \. -•■ P - . O '- DD PNP N F LL ;