Bible Teaching in State Schools.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume II, Issue 8, 1 February 1912, Page 125

Bible Teaching m State Schools.

(By the Yen. Arclideacon Willis.)

ARTICLE V. THE EXCELLENCE OP THE NEW SOUTH WALES SYSTEM. In the fourth chapter I named the chief objections that are usually made to having Bible teaching made part of the school system ; and showed how all of them have been satisfactorily answered. I kept the best answer, however, till the last, namely, the New South Wales system of religious teaching. This is a system which has been m full working order m the State of New South Wales for over 40 years ; and m other States of the Commonwealth for shorter periods. It, moreover, gives practically universal SATISFACTION IN ITS WORKING. I shall now proceed to set out shortly some of its excellent features. I have adopted for the most part the wording of one or other of several replies given by the Department of Public Instruction m New South Wales to inquiries which have been made from New Zealand. The opening sentence of the next paragraph is, however, a quotation from Clause 7 of the New South Wales Education Act. GENERAL INSTRUCTION (N.S.W.). " In all schools the teaching shall "be strictly non-sectarian, but the " words secular instruction shall be "held to include General Religious " Teaching, as distinguished from " dogmatic or polemical theology." " This Religious Teaching is placed " on exactly the same footing as geography, grammar, or any other " subject. At the annual inspection "of schools the failure of any class to " reach the standard m Scripture "would tell against the teacher, just "as satisfactory work would tell m " his favour." " The Irish National Board's " Scripture Lesson Books are regu- " larly read." TEACHERS AND PARENTS (N.S.W.). "All teachers, irrespective of "creed, are required to teach these " Scripture lessons ; and m no case "has any refusal to do so taken " place, nor has complaint ever been " made to the Department that the " lessons b&ve been ridiculed or made

" light of. The regulations allow, a " parent to withdraw his children " from all religious instruction by "notifying his wish m writing to the " teacher. As a matter of fact, such "notifications are so few that for "statistical purposes they may be " said not to exist." SPECIAL INSTRUCTION (N S.W.), " Outside this general religious "instruction the Act provides for " what is called c Special Religious "Instruction.* Any recognised 11 Clergyman, or other teacher " authorised by his Church, has the "right to give to the children of his "own denomination one hour's religious instruction daily. Unlike "the General Instruction, this may "consist of worship and purely sect- " arian teaching, It is given during " the ordinary school hours." "In all cases the pupils receiving "such religious instruction are separ- " ated from the other pupils of the "school." "The opportunity thus afforded is " largely availed of by the principal "denominations." THE LATEST STATISTICS (N.S.W.). The number of visits paid during 1910 by authorised teachers of the various denominations for the purpose of giving special religious teaching is given below : —

It will thus be seen that the opportunities given are made most use of by those termed "Other Denominations," the Presbyterians come next, and then m order the Methodists, the Church of England, and the Roman Catholics. GENERAL RESULTS (N.S.W.). " In case of the non-attendance of " any Clergyman or religious teacher "during any portion of the period " agreed to be set apart for religious " instruction, snch period shall be " devoted to the ordinary secular instruction m such school." " There are no sectarian difficulties "m working the clauses providing "for general or special religious instruction, because the system has <' always formed part of the school

"routine; and probably only a very "small percentage of parents would " like a change made, unless it were " m the direction of giving more, and " not less, religious teaching. The " general outcome of the instruction "is, that all pupils receivs a substantial knowledge of Scripture " history, and are made acquainted " with the moral teaching contained "m the Bible." The following report regarding the New South Wales system is from a Queensland newspaper : — inspector's report (n.s.w.). Mr A Lobban, Senior Inspector of Schools, New South Wales, who has been an officer of the Department for 45 years, and who is an Elder of the Presbyterian Church, wrote recently : — " I know nothing that has done so " much to remove sectarian bitterness " and religious misunderstanding be- " tween members of the various " Churches as the possession of this " inestimable privilege m the Public " Schools of this State. The teachers "are selected without reference to " their religious denomination, and " never interfere with each other's " religious belief. Children of various " denominations are ranged side by "side m the classes, and read the " Scripture lessons together, but no " reference to Churches is allowed. " When they separate to go for re- " ligious instruction to their Pastors, " no more notice is taken of the fact " by the pupils than if the class had " been broken into sections for special " instruction m secular work." The same newspaper gives REPORTS FROM WESTERN AUSTRALIA regarding a like system to that of New South Wales. The Inspector-General of Schools (Western Australia) states: — " No sectarian difficulty has been ' "found by the Department m the " working of the system. The State " School teachers find no difficulty " worth mentioning either m giving " the non-sectarian religious teaching, " or m relation to the visits of Mm"- -" isters of religion for special instruction classes during school hours. " Less than five per cent, of the " children have been withdrawn from " the non-sectavian religious instruction,"

The President of the Teachers' Union (Western Australia) writes:— " I was an opponent to the introduction of the system, as I thought "it would tend to brand distinctions " that would not be pleasant, but so "far as I can see, after seven years' " experience, my fears had no " foundation m fact. Your Queens- " land teachers have nothing to fear "m the introduction of religious " instruction, but will have an added " lever to raise the young lives to the " high ideals they so much desire." THE TESTIMONY OF TASMANIA. The Director of Education states : — " The system is accepted by all " denominations as a happy solution " of the religious difficulty."

In the next chapter I shall advocate that all Christian bodies m the Dominion unite together to demand the same thing, and to require that the question of the adoption or otherwise of the New South Wales system be submitted to a special vote of the people of the Dominion.

No. of Children Denomination. Visits. Enrolled. Church of England .. 25,209 116,090 Roman Catholic . . 840 31,755 Presbyterian . . . . 7.132 25,478 Methodist .. .. 8.430 30,034 Other Denominations .. 5,094 15,180 Totals .. .. 46,705 218,537