A good letter in the Times of Wednesday as to
the so-called " religious difficulty " of the Education Bill, points out that in Victoria precisely the same course was pursued in the Act of 1862, as is proposed to be pursued by the Government. Four hours in each day were set apart for secular teaching, but both the time and character of the religious instruction were left to the absolute direc- tion of the School Board. To this we may add that recently in discussing an address of the Victoria Legislature, an amendment was moved asking for a secular system throughout the colony, which amendment was defeated by a majority of 30 against 24. Clearly the solution of the religious difficulty proposed by Mr. Forster is not one which the most democratic of all our colonies regards as unequal in its provisions, or tending to the aggrandize- ment of any particular Church.
Previous page
