There are accounts of the many exemptions designed to manage compulsory attendance. Vivid accounts of the 'New Zealand death', especially in the 1900 Motu River tragedy; of frequent epidemics including measles, diphtheria, tuberculosis, are taken from the comprehensive inspectors' reports. These intrepid men were deeply committed to using the schools to not only educate children but to improve the health of the colony. Practical measures were recommended – use paper instead of slates, don't spit, and most importantly of all ventilate the schoolroom by opening windows.
The school population grew nearly 40 percent in just three years following the 1877 Education Act– a testament to the vast majority of New Zealanders who were committed to a national system of education.
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The school population grew nearly 40 percent in just three years following the 1877 Education Act– a testament to the vast majority of New Zealanders who were committed to a national system of education.
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Professor Elizabeth Rata is a sociologist of education in the School of Critical Studies, Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland where she is Director of the Knowledge in Education Research Unit (KERU).
4 comments:
Secular doesn't mean anti -religion but rather neutral . However the original intention was to have no particular Christian sect dominating like the Church of England did in England .The Scots,. who formulated the idea of ' secular' education had seen how many centuries ago , England had required any staff at their Universities to have Anglican beliefs . Isaac Newton in order to get a position at Oxford , had to hide his unorthodox Christian views .The Scots , took note and learned from this.
The on-line Oxford defines 'secular' as "not connected with spiritual or religious matters." In practice, secular education, secular governance, etc, are all about preventing schools, parliaments, court rooms, etc, from becoming sectarian battlegrounds; for in reality, 'religious; rapidly descends into 'sectarian'.
We have different opinions on this definition of secular.
AI Says secular means primarily neutral or non-religious .
University of Otago defines neutral as the state does not favour one religion over another . All faiths and nonbelievers being treated equitably .
Katherine Burbalsinghe in a London state school
.won a court case , when local Mullahs demanded she have a Muslim prayer room in her school. . Right from the opening of her school , she had declared she was a non-religious school , so won her court case not to have a prayer room . Katherine however teaches traditionally and has cultural Christian values at her school .
In NZ schools, in the past read from the bible but without any particular sect's stance . In the 1950s a friend narrated how at a NZ state secondary school they had the book of Job , as a set text . This book has literary merit , being poetry . If you have readings from the Iliard , why not similar ancient books ? There are a considerable number of biblical concepts in Shakespeare . Also in the past NZ state schools had Maori myths and also David and Goliath and Greek myths .
The broad concept' religious' becomes sectarian is too blunt, Barend .
We don't have a fundamental disagreement, Anon 920. I was just pointing out that governmental secularism (as practised in, inter alia, courts, parliaments, schools, other State institutions) is largely about avoiding inter-sectarian rivalry. The spur for this development in the 18thC came from the desire to sideline the Catholic vs Protestant Punch and Judy show that had dictated European politics for the preceding couple of centuries.
Incidentally, I am all for teaching religion (including sectarian notions) in schools, albeit under the umbrella of 'Social Studies'. Every educated person should have a working knowledge of world religions and the predominant sects within each.
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