Bible in State Sebools.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 10, 1 April 1914, Page 129

Bible in State Sebools.

THE TEACHERS' INSTITUTE.

A meeting of the Napier Branch of the JSew Zealand Teachers' Institute was ' held at Waipawa on the 28th February, Mr J. Hislop presiding. There were nearly titty teachers, present. Mr J. Duggan reported on the business done at the Auckland Conference. Speaking of the personelle of the Conference he is reported as having stated that- " the attitude of the majority 14 did not reflect the spirit oi the " teachers of the Dominion. The " majority of delegates were pleas- " ed to talk ideals, being satisfied "m their enjoyment of good sue- " cess and salaries. There was, " therefore, something wrong m the " matter of representation, for " which a remedy would have to be " found. He found fault with the " Executive who went behind the " decision of the Conference, who " decided that the minimum salary " should be .£l5O and rising to ' ' X s o°- The Executive reduced the " minimum to and rising to " £450 only." This is not the first time it has been whispered m educational ciicles that the Teachers' Institute does not really reflect the spirit of the teachers of New Zealand, and here is a teacher himself stating so publicly. It is true he does not apply his criticism to the question of Bible m State Schools, but it would be quite fair to say if he charges the Conference with not reflecting the spirit of the teachers of the Dominion and applies that specifically to the matter of salaries about which teachers have said so much, then the same criticism as to the Institute failing to represent teachers may also be applied to a purely educational matter such as the Bible m State Schools' question. This view is also supported by the fact that the number of teachers who. dissent from the opposition of the Teachers' Institute to the Bible m Schools' Movement is steadily increasing.. The opposition of some Baptists m New Zealand to the Bible m State Schools' League movement has frequently been pointed out as contrary to the attitude of the Baptist Church m Australia. A striking illustration of that has just come to hand m, theappqint-

ment of the Rev. R. Taylor, of Adelaide, as Organising Secretary of the League m South AustraliaMr Taylor, who is a Baptist minister, succeeded the Rev. A., Metters m the post of Organising Secretary. Mr. Metters continues to work for the League as General Secretary, thus two Baptist ministers are the sole executive officers of the League m South Australia.