New Britain herald., 1926-09-11

. 1 there must have been suspicious ! cyeing of each other by the church
 bodies for considerable time after. 1 Proba bly, 1t was this period and
 this coalition more than any other 1 reason that caused religious instruc- prayer, 10 be dropped eventually
 from the public school curriculum. In 1892 we read: In regard to 1 direct religious instruction it is 10 l be observed that in a school em- bracing children Of parents belong { ing to or different denomina- tions there are difficulties. It is probably for this, as well as other l reasons, that no greater attention is 1 paid to this subject" GA historical description of the first public school
 in Hartford, Conn, 1S32)
 By 1889 the decline of religious
 instruction in the public schools had become a matter of considerable 1 seriousness, al least In the estima- , ton of the superintendent, as Is shown by the following:
 The whole field of moral educa- tion is almost abandoned. The 1 Bible. or the New Testament Is ! found in almost every school, and
 where used as a reading book will
 necessarily carry along with its daily use much moral instruction. But the tendency of the present course l ia vi. cedence to intellectual develop ment, emitting, if not checking the growth and expansion Of the moral feelings"
 | In 1S4o we read: "A change In | the mode of imparting moral and
 religious instruction in the schools l became neCes essary. and as no ade- i quate substitute was provided for l the old methods the course of in- struction became fatally defective ! This has helped 10 destroy tn. discipline of the schools as well as their value In other respects, and Is one of the principle reasons why { parents who value the moral culture of their children and see that the ! temptations and perils which crowd i the paths Of the young make that
 culture indispensable to their safety and success, have withdrawn their children and with them their in-
 terest in the common schools"
 The last quotation shows too that l the parents were looking to the schools for the development of moral
 character.
 Even at this comparatively early
 date, the public school is recognized
 as .a strategic point for religious
 and moral training, as shown here: T should not here omit to men, f ton the important agency of Sun
 day schools and Sunday school li- | braries in the moral education Of ; the young .. Any course of | instruction is imperfect which does
 not embrace the harmonious de- velopment of the whole nature of , the child, and there are a vast num- i Der of children in the state who are not gathered into the Sunday school
 or have access to the books in these l libraries. The common school Is the only institution which reaches them as regards those who have no other means of education" (Barnard's
 report. 1s40.)
 T suppose it will be said here by some that the common school room is not the place for teaching the | Christian religion. but it seems to me mistaken notion. Even infidel l France, as we are wont to call her, ! has found out her mistake in this respect, and has commenced a work of reformation by making Chris tianity a party of every course of
 primary instruction. It is sectar- ianism which our American people are ayerse to rather than Chris tianity."
 Then he goes on to suggest
 way, viz.-having pupils memorize verses, and write them on states. Of various subject such as texts which forbid revenge, texts on forgiveness, etc. Later on, on same page There is not single virtue or duty rec commended in the Bible, not even the higher virtues of active benevol- cncc, self denial and self sacrifice, that should not in this or in a similar way be inculcated and en- forced on most of the pupils of the common schools. and this without the least necessity of even approach ing sectarian ground" (Connecti- cut Common School Journal, Nov. l, .1S40.) Another cause for the waning em- phasis on religious instruction in public schools may be noted. Around 1S40 when Horace Mann was beginning his untiring efforts for the development of the public school system in the United States he found variety Of schools for the young already in operation.
 Many of these schools were con ducted, or controlled by religious bodies, -- Protestant, Catholic and Jewish. Naturally. a considerable place was given In the curriculum to religious instruction.
 When the public school system began to absorb the church con- trolIed schools many Of those latter were conducted substantially in the same manner as prevailed before the change had taken place. This meant that religious instruction con tlnuod in the public schools as 1t had in the church controlled school, in many cases.
 Such q situation must have carly "ngondered tendency against con- tinuing religious instruction in the public schools. Furthermore, "antl- ! religious and non-religious clements of the population were actively working for q separation Of religious instruction from them. Differences in religious belief became more pro- | nounccd in the various local com munlties and certainly within the