Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-01-04
BIBLE STUDY IN SCHOOLS.

-. "A. oOIdI, I4uIOus 81. Os
BIBLE STUDY IN SCHOOLS.
New South Wales Apparently Has
Solved the Problem OF Sectarian
Opposition.
AS the New South Wales system of bible
reading in public schools is attracting
much attention in New Zealand, Victoria,
and also America, the following is inter-
esting as we'll as authoritative:
During his visit to England, the Hon.
Jane MCGOWAN, labor premier of New
South Wales, explained his views in 1.-The
Treasury a magazine published In Lon
don. Asked to tell something about the
education system of New South Wales.
he says:
ut is rather a long story about the
working of the education system, If we
begin at the beginning. and 1t really be-
gan in the COS, when the watchwords of
the party of popular education were free,
compulsory and secular They were not
irreligious or hostile to religion when they
said Secular but they had not found
an answer to the argument of those who
said it was not the business OF the state
to teach any particular form of religion.
But they held strongly that 1t was the
duty of the state to make the most of its
citizens; that education was a valuable
national asset, and ignorance a national
danger. 1t was the ideas of the old
Chartists that perhaps inspired our early
leaders in educational matters. All our
schools are free. 1t was not SO at first;
We charged a fee of three pence, allowing
exemptions to those parents who were un-
able to afford It. But this method ulti-
mately had to give way to sounder pol
icy, and in our elementary school free
education is law, and every child has the
right to be taught the religion Of his par
ents, If the religious body to which the
parent belongs will claim the right-and
II works. Teachers Of religion in our
school need not always be clergymen; II
they are accredited by their church, that
is enough for us. When their day ONE
round, the particular children whom they
have to teach are taken to class rooms
by themselves. If the teacher do not
turn up at the time expected, then the
child goes OH with the ordinary secular
teaching, whatever that nay be. So you
see, If the children do not get religious
teaching you annot blame the state, you
must blame the churches; they are free to
come in n give It,"
And do they give it?" asked the inter-
viewer.
Eyes, they do; they do their best to deal
with difficulties which you here may find
It hard to understand. There are great
districts in New South Wales that are
very sparsely populated. Why, we have
one parish called Wentworth that is near
ly as large as England. Consider the
physical difficulties In a case Ike that.
In the towns 1t 10 naturally much easier
for the religious bodies to do their work;
It Il not SO easy in the districts where
the people live miles apart. It is really
pretty to see. as you may sometimes in
the summer, parties of children going o
ponies five or six-mile journeys to school:
but II you will realize that picture, you
/ -NNvO ~nA1N.n n0o1 CN~eA - N,,a -5fA1,,1kf~-
But the state must do it's duty by it's citi-
zens. If it does. then It has a claim on
them for duties in return"
Countries Where the Bible 10 Read in
Schools.
Glasgow and Edinburgh-The bible IL
read daily.
Austria-Two hours per week are de-
voted to religious instruction.
Bclgium-Two hours are given to moral
instruction per week.
P~russia-FOur hours per week..
Berlin-Ditto.
Hamburg-Two hours Der week.
Germany-Banished the bible from her
schools, but has now restored It.
France-Moral instruction II given FOR
three hours per week.
Cape Colony-The bible IL read daily.
Orange River-Bible history is taught.
Egypt-The koran 10 read daily. AND
RS1AOA0AO OAO e000AS SuO bISS0O8lvy Oh re-
ligion to mar.
Japan-Morals and industry are taught
CanadA-At Ontario the bible Il read
daily. the Ten Commandments to be re,
peated once . week. At Saskatchewan
the board may permit religious instruction
IN schools. In New brunswick the bible
- read In schools.
New South Walss-The irish nationa,
board scripture lesson books are used.
Observation-Disclosures In sacred histor,
II impaired.
West Neutrality-suspicious. lessons IN
given orally to impress the value Of ~
scriptures q . basis Of moral instruo.
ton.
south Observation-Disclosures instruction {
optional.
England-Ths bible u rsad.
lroland-Etthsr Douay o. Authoranot
Vegeon sreAd. ~ each school furnisho(
sWttA aseHen COMMANDMENTS TahleN.s r
~ Hung On the wall
1oot New EealanA education boasao N
peovo - ~ Ten Commandments kelna
l1sOaeye1 - ~ wallis o. each c3aas -
Il 01ens3o aad West Ausesalie the g.
Ce00A1n9ate - tAngAt I ~ pfoAl