RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN THE U.S.A. AND CANADA
There is a very remarkable system of religious education in New York,
Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, and many other cities. The entire
educational work of the Church in the United States is under the
direction of the Department of Religious Education of the National
Council (called in the United States "The Presiding Bishop and
Council"). The Department of Education has several divisions:
Theological Seminaries, Church Boarding Schools (the same as Public
Schools in England), Church Sunday Schools, Week-day Schools, work among
students in State Universities, Pageantry, etc.
All Church School teachers are urged to go to Normal Schools. These are
successfully operated in New York City, Boston, Detroit, and Cleveland.
The teacher attends the Normal School once a month and receives
instruction from an expert in Child Study, Psychology, and Methods, and
also has an opportunity to discuss the outlines and illustrations for
the four lessons which are to be taught the following month. The lesson
material is from the Christian Nurture Series. This Series is a most
up-to-date graded course for children from four to seventeen years of
age.
Week-day schools are provided for children who are excused from the
public schools (that is, the great schools supported entirely by State
funds) for one hour or more each week for religious instruction under
the Church of his parents' affiliation. These schools stand for the
co-operation of the Church and State in the education of the child. The
State does not technically release the child for religious instruction,
but honours the request of the parent and excuses the child for extra
educational work desired by the parent.
It is realised in America that religious education cannot be successful
without the co-operation of the parents, therefore the Christian Nurture
Series provides a "Monthly Letter to Parents" to be forwarded regularly
by the teacher. These letters explain clearly what is required for the
preparation of each Sunday's lesson during the week. Social gatherings
are also arranged for the parents from time to time, at which an address
is given bearing upon the importance of the religious training of the
child, and calculated to enlist parental interest and co-operation.
An interesting example of the practical application of these principles
was afforded by a visit to what we should call in England an "upper
class" Sunday School. I had already met the superintendent, Miss Warren,
and she had explained one most interesting feature of her
system--namely, that each month she held a staff meeting of parents and
teachers to discuss the lesson, the children, and the school. In each
department of the school there was a superintendent; a grade leader who
ensured a continual supply of teachers (absentees having to send in
their names to her beforehand); a teacher and an assistant teacher for
each class, the latter being there to learn her art; and a pupil teacher
to hear the memory work. Some of the teachers received a salary, and all
the children paid a small entrance fee. These fees, however, did not
suffice for expenses, owing to the very good apparatus in use, but the
deficit was made up by the church.
A conspicuous feature of the school was a large diagram which hung near
the superintendent's table. It consisted of five rings: the small
central circle represented "Parish and Home," the next ring "Community,"
the next "Diocese," the next "Nation," and the outer ring "The World."
At the end of the session an appeal was made by the secretary each
Sunday for one of the above "fields of service," which took the form of
a stirring address on the need for supporting the work. The secretaries
were always some of the elder pupils, and their appeals were remarkably
well expressed for such young persons. After the address the secretaries
of each class were asked to vote a sum of money for the cause, which
they did after discussion with their class-mates. The school had a
choir of girls led by a talented musician, and they all united to teach
the children hymns.
Miss Warren took me to see Dr. Gardner, and, considering the excellence
of the system at which the American religious educationist aims, it was
encouraging to find him taking great interest in the proposed caravan
tour. He even went so far as to ask for details of the plan, and to
request that an account might be sent to him for publication. On the
appearance of this article he appealed for volunteers and money in order
to start a similar campaign on the plains of the U.S.A., where no
religious instruction was at present provided for the children.
After ten days in New York, we went on to stay with friends in Toronto.
Here we took the opportunity of inquiring into the methods of, and
opportunities for, religious education in Canada. We were greatly helped
in this by an introduction to the Rev. Dr. Hiltz, General Secretary of
the General Board of Religious Education for the Church of England in
the Dominion of Canada. The following is a summary of the information
given by him or gleaned from other sources.
Under the British North America Act of 1867 the right to legislate on
matters respecting education was reserved exclusively to the Provincial
Legislatures subject to the maintenance of the rights and privileges of
the denominational and separate schools as existing at the time of the
union or admission of provinces to the union.
This gave to the Roman Catholics in the Province of Ontario the right to
have separate schools, and to the Protestants in the Province of Quebec
a similar right. In other provinces of the Dominion, with the exception
of Saskatchewan and Alberta, however, separate public schools have no
legal standing. The right to have separate schools in the Provinces of
Alberta and Saskatchewan was conceded to these provinces when they were
admitted to the Dominion.
So far as religious education in the public schools in Canada is
concerned, the following brief summary will give some idea of the
situation and at the same time strongly emphasise the need.
In _Nova Scotia_ the matter is largely in the hands of the local
authorities. So long as no one objects, religious instruction may be
given in accordance with the wishes of the majority of the supporters of
the school.
In _New Brunswick_ schools _may_ be opened with the reading of Scripture
and the use of the Lord's Prayer, but as this regulation is permissive
only, everything depends upon the individual teacher.
In _Prince Edward Island_ the reading of the Bible at the opening of
school is authorised.
In _Quebec_ in the Protestant schools the first half-hour of each day is
devoted to religious exercises and instruction in morals and Scripture.
In _Ontario_ the public school _must_ be opened with the reading of
Scripture and the repeating of the Lord's Prayer, or the prayer
authorised by the Department. Religious instruction may be given by the
clergyman to the pupils of his denomination once a week after school
hours.
In _Manitoba_ ministers of the various religious communions have the
right to go into the schools at 3.30 once a week and give the children
religious instruction.
In _Saskatchewan_ and _Alberta_ the School Board may permit religious
instruction to be given during the last half-hour of the day, and may
direct that the school be opened with the recitation of the Lord's
Prayer.
In _British Columbia_ no provision is made for religious instruction,
but the Lord's Prayer may be used in opening and closing the school.
In most large towns and many villages of the Dominion of Canada there
are well-organised Sunday schools. Some of the dioceses have in the past
had Diocesan Sunday School Organisers. The Diocese of Rupert's Land was
a pioneer in this direction, and the Dioceses of Toronto and Huron have
also had such officials. The City of Ottawa for several years had a
resident Anglican Sunday School Organiser, an ex-student of St.
Christopher's College.
The religious educational work of the Church in Canada is organised
under the General Synod, the General Board of Religious Education being
the officially appointed body for the promotion of this work. It began
as a Sunday School Commission in 1908, but in 1918 was enlarged to a
Board of Religious Education.
Its work falls into five departments, namely:
1. _The Department of Parochial Education._
This department concerns itself with:
(_a_) Religious education through the agency of the home.
(_b_) Religious education through the agency of the Sunday School.
(_c_) Religious education through the agency of Adult Bible Classes and
Young People's organisations.
2. _The Department of Religious Education in Public and Private
Schools._
This department concerns itself with religious education in public and
high schools and in church boarding schools.
3. _The Department of Teacher Training._
This department concerns itself with:
(_a_) The training of teachers and officers in the local Sunday School.
(_b_) Teacher training in church boarding schools.
(_c_) Training for leadership in provincial normal schools.
(_d_) The training of students in our theological colleges in religious
pedagogy.
4. _The Lantern Slide Department._
This department concerns itself with the promotion of educational work
through the medium of the lantern in all branches of the Church's
activities.
5. _The Editorial Department._
This department concerns itself with the providing of suitable material
for use in the promotion of religious education through the other
departments, including the preparation and publication of the necessary
lesson helps for teachers and pupils.
In connection with the work of the Parochial Department, an interesting
attempt has been made to reach the people in the scattered districts
through what is known as "The Sunday School by Post." This is
practically the only way in which isolated families can be helped who
are too far away to make attendance at Sunday school possible, and too
few in numbers to support a school of their own. This Sunday School by
Post sends out monthly and weekly graded lesson helps, each lesson
having its own illustrations, questions, memory work, prayers, and Bible
readings for each week. The parents are asked to see that the child has
ample opportunity to do the written work, and this is returned to the
Diocesan Secretary for the Sunday School by Post for examination and
correction.
Sunday School by Post secretaries are now working in the Dioceses of
Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, Calgary, Edmonton, and Athabasca, and, now
that the General Board of Religious Education has a western field
secretary at work, in the person of the Rev. W. Simpson, it is hoped
that other dioceses may be led to establish work similar to this to
reach the church people in the more distant settlements.
Without some such help as this the parents usually find it impossible to
give their children religious instruction. They have little time for
thought or study, and have frequently forgotten what they once knew. But
their interest is very keen when roused, as the following incident
proves. In one of the public schools, during the history hour, the
teacher read part of the story of Joseph, but not having time to read
the whole of it promised to finish it next day. One child, thrilled by
the story and impatient for the end, went home and asked his parents if
they could finish it for him. "Joseph!" they said, "Joseph! Surely we
have heard that name somewhere." At last they remembered that it was a
biblical name. A long search finally revealed the Bible, dusty from long
neglect, and a further search discovered the story, which was read with
intense interest by parents and child alike. When the latter went to
school next day he proudly told his class-mates how the fascinating
adventure ended.
In connection with the Parochial Department, much is also being done for
the training of boys and girls of the "teen" age. With a view to meeting
the needs of these young people, a Council on Boys' Work, a Council on
Girls' Work, and a Council on Young People's Work have been formed,
whose chief task it is to prepare and issue definite programmes of
mid-week activities for organised groups of older boys and girls and
young people. The plan which is largely followed is that known as the
fourfold plan, the aim being to develop these adolescents physically,
intellectually, socially, and spiritually. The programmes are of such a
character that they can be worked out through any type of organisation
desired, whether it is with an organised class in Sunday School, a Boy
Scout or Girl Guide Troop, Trail Rangers, Tuxis Square, or Anglican
Young People's Association.
The publication work of the Board is extensive, lesson courses and
helps, both for teachers and pupils, being provided for all departments
from the little beginners to the adult Bible classes. These constitute
the official lesson schemes of the Church of England in Canada, and are
used in the great majority of the schools.
A very effective piece of work is being done by the Teacher Training
Department, which not only provides courses of training for teacher
training classes in the local parish, but has also made provision for
definite teacher training work to be carried on amongst the Anglican
students in attendance at the Normal Schools in the provinces of Ontario
and Quebec. In addition to this, definite courses of training are
provided for the students in attendance at the Church of England
Deaconess and Missionary Training School in Toronto, and in the various
theological colleges of the Church of England. In five of these latter,
the General Secretary of the Board of Religious Education lectures
regularly.
Another important channel for the promotion of teacher training work is
that provided through Summer Schools, which are held regularly at
strategic centres from the Maritime Provinces to British Columbia. These
schools are conducted under the auspices of the three Boards of the
Church--namely, the Missionary Society, the Board of Religious
Education, and the Council for Social Service.
Dr. Hiltz kindly showed interest in our caravan project, and said that
if it proved possible of accomplishment he would like a report of the
work at the end of the season. He remarked that there was great need for
work of the kind.