The White Ribbon. "For God, and Home, and Humanity." WELLINGTON, JUNE 18, 1931. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

White Ribbon, Volume 36, Issue 431, 18 June 1931, Page 6

The White Ribbon. "For God, and Home, and Humanity." WELLINGTON, JUNE 18, 1931. BIBLE IN SCHOOLS.

It is over half a century since the Hible was excluded from our Primary Schools. It lias never been banished from Secondary Schools. . Nelson refused to l>anish the Bible, and instituted its system of Bible teaching in school hours by utilising half an hour left free. The Act says schools must he open for secular instruction 24 hours a week. Most schools are open 25 hours weekly, and the Nelson schools took advantage of this extra hour to provide half an hour’s Bible teaching weekly.

When the Bible was banished from our schools, we had parents and teachers who had l>een educated under the old system and who knew their Bibles. But with the lapse of years, these have passed on, and we have teachers and parents educated on the “No Bible” system. And it has not improved our social life or our moral condition. The Bible sets the standard of conduct high, and it tells the child of the loving Friend Jesus, who will help him to live up to that high standard. It is not much use appealing to the child to l>e honest and truthful because “Honesty is the best policy.” But every true teacher knows how readily the child responds to the appeal to be honest and pure and true because Jesus wants them to l>e so. Love is the fulfilling of the law, anti the Bible teaches the personal devotion to a Leader who is worthy of our highest and best. The Bible in Schools Bill, to he introduced this session, provides for the Bible to Ik? read in our schools. It should satisfy all reasonable people. It provide , for a conscience clause for both teacher:; and pupils. It also provides that schools in which the Nelson system is wo iking well may continue to teach under that system. The Bill authorises teachers to give religious Instruction, with a conscience clause for both pupils and t« nchera. Our l’nions will help in every way to give the Bible the place it should have in our system of education.