THE PUBLIC SCHOOLBOY'S VIEW - Sut,—In the third paragraph of
Mr. Wickham's letter in your issue of last week the following sentence occurs : "In State schools no religion is taught."
Before making statements so categorical and so sweeping as this, Mr. Wickham should verify his references. According to the latest return there are in this country 20,905 Public Elementary schools. Of these, 9,068 are Church and 1,252 Roman Catholic schools. In all of these, by the terms of their trust deeds, religious instruction, in accordance with the doctrine of the Church concerned, is given every day. In these schools about one-third of the children are educated.
In the Provided or Council schools the character of the religious instruction is conditioned by the provisions of the Education Act. These provisions preclude the giving of denominational teach_ng as part of the ordinary school curriculum, but they do not, and are not intended to, prevent the regular instruction of the children in the Scriptures and in the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Such instruction is, in fact; given carefully and conscientiously in the vast majority of the Provided schools. There are, doubtless, weak places in the system, as there must be in any system employing human agents under our English system of Local Government. The Local Education Authorities, however, have for many years displayed an increasing anxiety to make this instruction as effective as possible, by the adoption and use of good syllabuses of Scripture teaching and by organising courses of instruction for their teachers. This process still continues, with the good will and interest of the great majority of people concerned.
Facts such as these should be borne carefully in mind by all who deal with this subject in speech or in correspondence.-- Leicestershire Education Committee. The Brand, Loughborough.
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