MAORI SCHOOL BREAK-UP

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28766, 11 December 1958, Page 2

MAORI SCHOOL BREAK-UP

Friends Of Te Wai Pounamu

The voices of 30 Maori school girls harmonised in songs of welcome and action on Tuesday evening when the students, staff and The Friends of Te Wai Pounamu held a Christmas party and break-up at Te Wai Pounamu College. Their interpretation of canoe songs and movements with short and long pois were especially applauded by parents, friends and visitors. Welcoming the guests and moving the adoption of the annual report at the annual meeting held before the concert, the president (Mrs J. Roy Smith) said that 100 nurses and teachers had gone forth from the college and The Friends of Te Wai Pounamu were eager to encourage Maori youth in general to undertake higher education.

Mr John Stewart, a sponsor of the group, congratulated the school on the record number of School Certificate passes last year. Thirteen pupils had sat the examination and 12 had passed. The fine record of the school had been attained because the tuition was specially tailored to meet the needs of Maori students, he said. Mr Stewart urged that members of the movement conduct a vigorous campaign to assist young Maori people to acquire higher academic qualifications to fit many more for entrance to University and eventual participation in the business and professional world. The Maori race had a lag to make up. It was only 150 years since it had become familiar with reading and writing. He called for an intensification of effort to assist the race to double or treble the number at present training for professions. High Commissioner The Associate Minister of Maori Affairs (Mr Tirikatene), who was accompanied by Mrs Tirikatene, said that LieutenantColonel C. M. Bennett, the newlyappointed High Commissioner for Malaya had been an inspiration to the Maori race to aspire to greater heights of academic learning and take their places alongside the pakeha in assuming responsible posts in the country’s administration. A cablegram of congratulation will be sent to Mr Bennett from The Friends of Te Wai Pounamu. Six girls of the college graduating from the sixth form were presented with Endorsed School Certificates and special prizes. The principal of the school (Mrs H. Daniels) was presented with two electric clocks by the Friends to commemorate the jubilee of the school to be held next year. The following officers were elected:—President, Mr J. N. Minson; vice-presidents, Mesdames A. H. Rothenberg and L. C. L. Averill; secretary, Mr Graeme Moir; treasurer, Mr R.’G. Hintz; executive, Mesdames J. Roy Smith and J. J. Brownlee, Miss Nancy Northcroft, the Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev. Martin Sullivan), Messrs J. W. Huggins, Wilifrid Peers, W. G. V. Fernie and lan Pringle; honorary solicitors, Messrs Brassington, Gough and Clark; honorary auditor, Mr I. J. Wilson.