Secular Education.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XII, Issue 3, 1 September 1921, Page 304

Secular Education.

We have received a copy of a letter sent to the annual conference of the N.Z. Labour Party and publish it, m spite of its length, on account of the supreme importance of the subject and the interesting information it contains as to Labour's attitude to religious teaching. It is unnecessary to say that we do not agree with all the proposals set forth m it. "Sectarian hate and strife" is a bogey that need no longer be feared, whilst definite religious views are absolutely necessary to any religious organisation if it is to have any coherence or stability. We do not believe m treating the Bible as we treat Shakespeare, nor m entrusting its teaching to public school teachers of every shade of religion or no religion. What is important is the evidence given m the letter that a section of Labour supports our contention that religion is the only solid foundation on which moral teaching and character can be based, and that our present secular system is "out of date." \lv Parr said the. other day that "radical reform" m our education system is urgently necessary. "A patriot is known by the interest he takes m the common schools." — Horace Mann. EDUCATION AND THE LABOR PLATFORM. Sir, — My attention has been drawn to a remit from the Dunedin L.R.C. proposing that the New Zealand Labour Party advocate '.'Secular" education for primary schools. Permit me, Sir, to state that the English %»des Union Congress have dropped "Secular" education debates. My

authority is Professor Thistleton Mark, of Manchester University, who, m his work, "Modern Views on Education," states:^ — "We have, m the decision to abandon m future the secular education debate at the (English) Trades Union Congress an . indicar tion of the nations, weariness of the discussion." A correspondent, writing m the Melbourne "Labor Call," 3rd June, 1915, states.:— r. .77. .,: - . ...•-,* "The Labor leaders of England have recently spoken strongly m favor of sympathetic relations between 'Religion and Labor,' and warn their people against ' anything happening that would alienate the Labor movement from religious faith.' Partly as an outcome of this, 'secular education has been dropped from the English Labor platform.' " The American Federation of Labor, m. 1913, pronounced as follows m regard to religion: — "Nothing would be more injurious to the welfare of our movement than the injection of questions relative to religion. The American Trades Union movement from its inception has excluded all questions of a sectarian nature from its Conventions, and this rigidly applied policy has made it, possible to build up a united movement which otherwise would be impossible either to secure or maintain. American Trades Unions, as is their right, have insisted upon complete autonomy over the politics of the Labor movement upon this Continent." During the last eight years four State Legislatures m America have passed laws allowing Bible reading m schools without comment. (The entry of clergy into State schools is not allowed), and American Labour has made no official protest. The American "Initiative and Referendum .Acts," first advocated by the American Federation of Labour, permits referendum^ on the Bible m Schools question. The German Labour Government, with 165 majority Socialists m the National Assembly of 423 members, has provided for optional religious instruction m schools. In Poland (independence recognised 1915) the second Polish Minister of Education, K. Prauss, who is a Socialist, worked out >a regular school programme m which religious instruction was to be provided for if parents wished. Russian Bolsheviks, who cut out religious instruction from the schools, have abandoned their anti-Church and anti-religious propaganda. Democratic Finland (population three millions), with a single Chamber, proportional representation, 40

of its legislators Soviet Democrats, and with 2000 co-operative societies, allows religious instruction m State schools. The New South Wales Labour Party, which first captured the. Government benches nearly 30 years ago, has never interfered with the Bible instruction given m State schools, nor does "secular" education appear on their platform. , "Secular" education does not appear on the South Australian Labour Party's platform. My committee have no desire to win over , the New Zealand Labour Party to stand for Bible reading m schools, as it is considered that such, subjects fall outside the Labour province; but consider you should be neutral. My point is, to show that if your party persists m advocating "secular" education, it is not helping to popularise the Labour Party, as they (Labour) then would side with the Secularist party, thus antagonising a large section of voters, 130,000 of whom m 1914 signed the petition for a Referendum on Bible m Schools, backed* by the Churches. Your movement m that event can be classed as Bolshevik, quite out of line, with the English-speaking Socialists, who are not anti-Christian. (See "Modern Democracies," by Viscount Bryce, .Vol. 11., p. 627). Bryce also says, on page 349, that the New Zealand Secularist Social Democratic Party opposed the Bible reading m Schools Bill m 1914. The German Social Democrats also advocated, without success, the secularising of schools. It is maintained that not only does the advocacy of a "secular" system draw heavy fire from the Church party and parents, but this "secular" action is helping to break up the present National system of education m New Zealand, because the Church party, not being able to get Bible reading iri State schools for their children, are now erecting day schools, which are a success, as the following proves, viz. : "At the last annual conference of the New Zealand Educational Institute (or State Teachers' Association) Mr H. F. Wilkinson, 8.A., contended that during the last 5 years private schools had gained a rapidly increasing hold on the public, their numbers having increased three times as rapidly as public schools. He submitted the , following remit :— 'That a committee be set up to report to the executive on May 31st, 1921, on the undermining of the National system by private schools.' The matter was referred to the executive for consideration." - It is equally obvious that the present system of "secular" eduqation is unpopular and that there is strong feeling m favor of some form of .religious instruction or Bible reading by

a considerable portion of the community. This has been shown m a remarkable way by local referendums or plebiscites on the question and also by the success of the Church day schools which specialise m religious instruction. From a democratic point of view our committee stands for a National system of education and, sees danger m the chldren being divided up into denominational schools or camps, as this leads to sectarian hate and strife which will intrude itself into every branch of our social and political life. But no Government can adopt a Bolshevik attitude and suppress Church schools; that would be intolerance, for this is a free country. It is clear, so educationalists say, that a purely "secular" system is out of date, and that m order to popularise the present State schools a measure of Bible reading is wanted. In this connection I beg to quote from a fairly recent work on education, "The Gary Schools," by R. S. Bourne (1915), with an introduction by W. Wirt, Superintendent of Schools, Gary, Indiana, p. 161 (Religious Instruction) : — ' ' As long as any considerable number of the parents of the children m a school believe that religious instruction is valuable, no public school, which pretends to be really public, can refuse to release children for this purpose." It is a foregone conclusion that if the National schools want to hold their own there must be some measure of Bible instruction provided m the syllabus. There should be no difficulty about this seeing that Bible instruction is provided m the New Zealand High Schools and Colleges, which are semi-State institutions, receiving Government grants. If a boy goes to school m "any other part of the British Empire nearly all the Education Departments m the various countries provide him m school time with a knowledge of the literature, high ideals and moral teaching of the English Bible, which tend to make him a better citizen. Therefore, having made inquiries abroad as regards the various Bible m Schools plan, our committee have come to the conclusion that the English Board or County Council system of Bible instruction is amongst the best. It allows Bible reading but prohibits clergymen entering the schools. It seems inexplicable; that the New Zealand Labor Party should aid m prohibiting m schools the use of a humanitarian peace book like- the Bible. W. Graham, M.A., m his work, "Socialism, New and Old," declared that "Moses and the Prophets were Socialists" (and was not Chrisi an Internationalist?) Why does Labour prohibit the children m the primary, schools from receiving*

a knowledge of Bible teachings yet make no protest at the Bible being used m New Zealand's semi-State secondary schools and colleges of the rich man? Our committee suggests that the English or American plan be considered, viz. : The Education Boards to prohibit, or allow,, the Bible to be read by the teachers without sectarian comment; no clergy to be admitted to the schools; a conscience clause for teachers and scholars ; Jewish children to recieve lessons from the Old Testament; Scripture work not to be officially examined; the London School Board Scripture syllabus to be used. In conclusion, the increase of juvenile crime m New Zealand must make every citizen -consider this subject. The picture show is not to blame altogether; but deficiency of moral and religious training is. The editor of the " Maoriland Worker" of July 28th, 1920, says • on Bible teaching: — ' ' We yield to none m our admiration of the Bible as a piece of literature and have seen no eulogy of it from this standpoint that did more than justice to it. . . . To i read the Bible as literature is a splendid exercise." In conclusion, the editor says:- — "Let us have Bible teaching by all means if it can be taught as the works of Shakespeare are taught, for the value it has as a sublime record of human thought, human striving to find out the unknown." The Children's Bureau of the U.S.A. Department, of Labour have issued a neyr dodger headed: "What Growing Children Need." The requirements are set out under the headings of "Shelter," % "Food," "Religious and Moral Training." Free thinkers like Haeckel and Huxley, Socialists like Count Tolstoy and Bernard Shaw, have strongly urged the use of the Bible m the people's schools. Trusting, Sir, that you- will excuse this liberty, taken m our mutual interests and m justice to our children. — We are, yours truly, JOHN ASTON, J.P., Chairman. 1 S. PEARSON, Hon. Secretary. "'' Citizens' Propaganda Committee.