New Britain herald., 1930-09-11
COMMUNICATED
Advance fla Sunday School Work

l Raikes assembled group of street urchins in the city of London and held the first Sunday school. The ! difference between that school and a modern school of religious educa- tion would be- comparable to the difference between the then existing l public schools with those of today At the opening of the New Britain public school system the city of New 1 Britain can well feel proud of it's splendid buildings and equipment, earnest well-trained teaching force, l its equipment, it's broad and practi- cal program and the whole hearted support of its citizenry. The heads of most families in our city today l need not be urged to send their chill dren to public school for prepara- tion of life's work as higher educa- | ton is made increasingly available for children from homes of modest means The youth finds it increas- ingly difficult to obtain worthwhile positions in the world without the background and training given in l our schools.
 While the place of religious educa- ton in the training of boys and girls is not yet fully recognized by the mass of our people and therefore has not been so adequately provided for as secular education is provided for, yet the citizens of New Britain of ho IIo nA made in this field as compared with other communities. We have first, Sunday Church school groups with programs prepared by modern religious educators; many volun- teer teachers preparing themselves as best they may by attending stand ard teacher training courses given here during the two semesters of the winter season, attending summer conferences and studying from the wealth of practical books that are now available for them.
 More recently the opportunity for an extra hour week for religious instruction has been provided by the school board This has been one of the greatest advances made in the field of Religious Education in the hundred years of its history. It is recognized by public school authori- ties here and elsewhere that no education is complete and no char acter properly developed that does not take into account our relation to God and the moral law. It is recog- nzed by public school authorities that religion should definitely be a part of the curriculum for every boy or girl. Since under our form of government that is not possible in the public school, it is wisely left to religious organizations to teach dur ing a part of the school time. The lack of this recognition in the past few years with the tremendous growth of the educational methods and principles is doubtless largely responsible for the indifference to religious education on the part of much of the youth of our nation. who quite naturally assume that if the school system finds religion so unimportant that it was not taken into consideration, then they need give it little thought. The coopera- tion of the local school principals and teachers with the local religious organizations and the conduct of their schoos has been most gratify- ing and leaves room for little criti- cism.
 This is the beginning of the sixth year of this program in New Brit ain and at the end of this year the group of boys and girls who went into the third grade of the Week Day Religious School six years ago will graduate from that school so that for this reason it will be a par ticularly interesting year. The diff ferent religious organizations are alive to this opportunity to implant moral and religious principles in the character of the coming generation and their leaders are working hard to continually raise the standard of religious education as better means and methods are being provided. - The Week Day Church school season will open Wednesday Septenl- Der 17th for children of the third. fourth, fifth and sixth grades and on Thursday. September 18th for students of the seventh and eighth grades. The customary cards will be placed in the hands of the students of these grades this week, giving the | parents their opportunity to express their will whether their children shall be given the benefit of this extra hour of religious education or not. The pastors, directors of reliei- ous education, Sunday school super the work are making canvasses ill the various churches urging their constituents to see that the cards are returned requesting the school authorities to release their children for this purpose. The movement has the support of not only all religious leaders but the leaders in secular education and still more significant, judges, probation officers and other leaders in public life who are con- stantly in contact with youth and who agree that boys and girls thor oughly grounded in religion make by far the best citizens.
 One is inclined to wonder what Robert Raikes would think were he to walk the streets of New Britain a h1n rod vears fter his aynprjeDre in Great Britain and view modern methods of transportation, living conveniences, etc, and observe Week Day Church school sessions in one of our larger we'll equipped churches.
 | o. A. MARSH
 Chairman Board of Directors,
 United Week Day Church School.