The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1913. SIDELIGHTS ON THE N.S. WALES SYSTEM

New Zealand Tablet, 29 May 1913, Page 33

The New Zealand Tablet THURSDAY, MAY 29, 1913. SIDELIGHTS ON THE N.S. WALES SYSTEM

jAA# —- EATEN in the field of argument, utterly (* worsted on the question of principle and O SIFSm moral right, Bible Leaguers are compelled yJiioJJ ever more and more to fall back on the supposed unanimous evidence from * the other side ’ as to the complete success of the New South Wales system. They are - ; putting all their eggs into one basket because they have only one basket left. ‘ The opponents of the League/ they tell us, ‘ may have their theories; the League supporters have the facts.’ Passing by for the moment the point that the objections that have been advanced against the League’s proposals —at any rate by Catholic opponents —are by no means theoretical but involve highly practical issues of moral right and wrong, we take leave to ask the previous question. Are the facts really on the side of the League ? Is the system the unqualified success which the partisan witnesses of the League would make it out to be? We can quite understand that the unhappy teacher, muzzled by the regulation which forbids him to publicly criticise the system, has no opportunity of creating * friction.’ Whether the teacher entertains conscientious objections or not, there is no ‘ friction,’ because he has either to teach or to go. We can quite understand, also, that many of those who are paid to administer the system will be found to testify in its favor. That is a phenomenon common to all systems even to systems that have been notoriously iniquitous and unjust. But ever and anon facts come to light, casually as it were

and from unexpected quarters, which give the public something more than a glimmering of the real state of affairs regarding the working of this beautiful system. * An illustration in point is furnished by the statements made at a recent interview granted to an Anglican deputation by the New South Wales Minister for Public Instruction, Mr. Carmichael. The deputation represented the committee of special religious instruction in public schools, which is a standing organisation in connection with the Church of England in New South Wales, and their object was to draw attention to the fact that by reason of recent alterations to certain public schools they had become high schools, and there was no provision in the present Act to give religious instruction in the high schools. The Minister reassured the deputation on this point by explaining that the necessary departmental authority had already;been given for religious instruction in the high schools; and in the course of the interview the following candid evidence was given as to the present working of the system. Our quotations are taken from the Sydney Morning Herald of May 6. ‘Archdeacon Irvine, in introducing the deputation, said that ... as citizens of New South Wales, the members of the committee saw the danger of the country becoming, to a large extent, materialistic, A headmaster of a certain school had told him that he had frequently received letters from parents telling Him they did not desire that' their boy should be taught anything that would not pay; and that subjects that would do nothing more than mould the boys’ characters did not matter at all.’ Mr. J. Hole, organising secretary of the committee, who said he spoke from the lay viewpoint, ‘ contended that for 18 years the provisions of the Act had not been carried out in public schools as was intended. Before 1905, two lessons of 40 minutes each in religious instruction were given each week. Under the present syllabus nine hours a week were devoted to English and two and a-quarter hours to morals and civics (which included English, Australian, and French histories), and temperance teaching, illustrated by anecdotes, allegories, and fables. If any teacher could teach all these subjects in two and a-quarter hours and give religious instruction as well the committee would like to have an opportunity to see the man. They wished this matter dealt with so that critics of the public school system could no longer describe the schools as “godless institutions.” ’ In reply, Mr. Carmichael gave no promise as to modifying the present syllabus in the direction desired by Mr. Hole, and contended that the clergy were not taking advantage of their opportunities. ' ‘ If he paid a visit to certain schools where there were resident clergy near he was - of opinion that he should find that many had not availed themselves of the opportunity to visit the schools in order to give religious instruction. So that if religious instruction were not given in the schools the onus fell on those who had the right and had not availed themselves of it.’ Commenting on the interview the Herald, in a leading article, remarks: It is quite true that some of the Churches have taken advantage of the opportunities afforded by the State, but it is no fault of the State if others have treated the whole matter with careless indifference. ... Mr. Carmichael is perfectly correct in his surmise that the clergy have been lax in this matter.’ Here are four witnesses, all supporters of the system, two of whom testify that the opportunities for special religious instruction are being largely neglected by the clergy; and the other two of whom testify that the general religious instruction, of which so much is made by League advocates, is being quietly elbowed out of the system. •xThese same facts have been stated before on equally unimpeachable authority. Here, for example, are some extracts from the ‘ thirty-first annual report of the committee appointed to carry into effect the resolutions passed by the Synod (Church of England) on the subject of special religious instruction in public schools,’ which was presented to the .Anglican Synod of New South Wales a couple of years ago. The report states that the general apathy has been found to be so great that

the words of the third annual report are ‘still appropriate at the present time.’ They are as follows: —‘ The committee are reluctantly compelled to avow their conviction that, unless a more lively and persistent interest in this work shall be shown by members of Synod, in recess as well as in session, and by members of the Church at large, the work itself must languish, perhaps even be finally abandoned.’ Then, as to the general religious instruction or Bible reading, the committee complain that the time formerly given by the State teachers to general religious instruction is now, to a large extent, devoted' to the teaching of history, civics, and morals The report goes on to say that, although the returns from the clergy * are more complete than they have been for several years,’ still ‘ in some schools it must reluctantly be assumed that no special religious instruction is given, for the rectors of twenty parishes have failed, after repeated ■ applications, to furnish any information.’ As a consequence, out ‘of the 45,000 .children of the Church of England in attendance at the public schools, only 29,000 receive any religious instruction, and these generally but one lesson a week.’ * From all of which it is evident that all is not well with the great system. It promises what it does not perform; and the elements of sham and make-believe are painfully conspicuous. The people, under the impression that their children are getting religious instruction, are lulled to sleep on the subject, and the system becomes what Archbishop Kelly plainly declared it to be—a delusion and a snare.