Polynesian., 1858-07-03
CHE 1)olpnesiau.
Report of the President of the Board of
Education.
IContinued from No 81

GContinued from No. 81
/ r In speaking of " School books the Presi-
dent says:
I" A number of them out Of print and the Board
of Education is devotng portion of the interest
ing the school fund to reprntng the most important
/ OF them
There are other school, books which are out of print
and which are greatly needed and the Board of Edu
cation viii have them reprinted fast the funds
/ its disposal will allow
Advocating, as We do, the speedy adoption of the
English language in the Hawaiian Free Schools, we
must protest against all attempts to perpetuate
those literary abOrtions proving of questionable
benefit to anybody but the compiler and the
printer.
On the "ReligiOn in Free Schools" the Presi-
| dent says
"I have spoken so fully on this topic in former re-
ports that it will be unnecessary to say much upon
here The laws recognize sectaran divisions in the
schoolsnor do they give the Board of Education any
right to control the religious instruction of the people
nor has it assumed any such control. 'The duty of
nurturing religious faith, and OF informing the soul
upon its relations to the Creator and all His creatures
has been wisely left by laws to the lessons of the
sanctuary, and of the domestic circle The direct OBJ
ect of the free schools is sufficiently indicated by the
qualifications required by law, in their teachers that
they exhibit satisfactory evidence of good moral char
acer and qualifications to instruct particularly in the
rudments of reading, writing, arithmetic and geogra
phy.' Nothing is said of religion That is wisely left
out; not because the Government regards it matter
of consequence, whether the children of the nation
are taught the doctrines and duties OF Christianity or
not far from it. for this is the highest and essen
tal part of all education but from the manifest i'm
possibility OF supporting separate class of schools for
| aQODtlup mode Or of
religious instruction, that would be satisfactory ALL
The experience of all States which have undertaken to
educate dH tie people proves this A system of common
schools supported by the state must be based on
common ground, where all meet, and confne itself
that line of instruction. which, in the language of the
excellent report of Hon. E. p. Bond, Chairman of the
Committee on Education TO the House of Representa-
ves in the year 1854, shall fit the people under
stand the constitution and laws of the land and to bear
their share in the administration of government, well
to attain in life The action of both Houses
the Legislature this subject, in 1854, clear
and decisive, and the Board has endeavOred carry
| out.
In large majority of our free schools are the chill
| dren of Que denomination of Christians only. They
have been since schools were first established on
the islands, and in such schools long the teachers
have neglected the branches required by law to be
taught, they have been left to their discretion in
impartng such religious instruction. and conducting
such worship has been understood to be in accord
with the feelings of the parents. But in some
localities, the number of children of 6ll denominations
is not more than sufficient to form school, and it
would be useless expenditure of money support two
or three schools where one will answer and the In
spectOrs have been instructed from time time
bDe the very small schools together, where it could be
done with economy, without any regard to religious
Sects; and sin mixed schools where are collected the
children Of different Secs perhaps hostile to each other
to allow religious exercises teaching that could
offend the consciences of any class of parents whose
children might be present 1t is natural and proper
that the teacher, if religious man, should wish to
open close his school with prayer and reading por
ton Of the Holy Scriptures, but is not proper while
there present children whose parents dsapprove of
his mode Of worship.
alt is proper therefore that clergymen and religious
teachers Of all denominations, whose special calling is
attend to the spiritual wants OF the people, should
distinctly understand that the free school, supported
by the people, for all the people, AMI to fit all the peo
pie to understand their rights and perform their duties
subjects ot good government, and attain in
life; and that they cannot, in accordance with our
laws, be conducted afford separate class of
schools for every Sect nor be the medium through
which the peculiar sentiments OF any sect IN be taugh.
| (See instructions of the Board of July 3D., 1862
'ThOSe who do not like the free schools conducted
| this broad platform at liberty to form private
schools TO suit themselves and in they provide for
the education Of their children in their own way. the
law allows them be freed from the schooltax by spe
cial application for the to the proper officer.
" 1t is difficult to conceive Of a system liberal
and better calculated to without awakening
sectarian ealouses, coming into collision with the
religious teachers of any denomination. But, regret
to say that in some of the districts difficulties have
arisen between the School Inspectors and portion of
the Catholic population and their priests sectarian
grounds The correspondence herewith enclosed vii.
explain the matter in detail to the Legislature.
''By referring TO the correspondence of Mr.. Wyllie
with Mr.. Dillon, under the head of Schools and a.
othe subsequent correspondence of that Minister with
NJ Perrin, in 1851, and the several Reports of this
Department, the Legislature will what has been the
line of policy Of the Kings Government in regard to
religion and education in past years; that has main
tained them, belong solely the internal affairs of
the kingdom; that the free schools supported by
the government for state and not purposes
and that religion is here left free as the winds of
heaven, unless it degenerates into licentiousness'
We approach this subject with great crcum-
spection, knowing well that there are always two
sides to story but as the President has neither
printed the correspondence, to which he alludes as
impugning his statements, nor laid it on the table
of the House of Representatives for the use Of its
members and reporters, we are obliged to cOnfne
ourselves to the Report, so far as it goes.
1t says: :" The duty of nurt turing religious
faith, and of informing the soul upon its relations
to the Creator and all his creatures has been wisely
left by our laws to the lessons of the sanctuary,
and of the domestic circle" Now, this sounds WE'LL
beyond doubt; it conveys the idea that the 80 les
sons of the sanctuary and of the domestic circle
are in this country adequate to impartng informa-
tiOn to the soul upon its relations to the Crea-
tor and his creatures But the lessons of the
sanctuary are barren seed, unless they fall upon
soil prepared and trained in the domestic circle,
and of this latter ' element of education the
he. nft