“Impetus Wanted From Foundation”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29897, 10 August 1962, Page 7

“Impetus Wanted From Foundation”

(Neiu Zealana °ress Association) AUCKLAND. August 9. the Maori Education Foundation’s fund —principal and interest —should all be spent in 10 years, said Dr. NL N. Paewai at Kaikohe. “It is a crash programme for a special situation which needs emergency treatment,” he said.

“I am all for the general concept of having a fund to raise the educational standards of our Maori people. It is the administration of it that I’m concerned about,’’ Dr. Paewai said.

"I have got very grave misgivings and doubts on the outcome of the scheme as I see it now.

“If they do manage to raise the educational level of the top quarter there will be three-quarters of the Maori people in the same state as they were before. “There is going to be an upper and lower class in Maori-dom—and who wants that?”

Dr. Paewai’s suggestions for the administration of the foundation are: H> That all the money in the fund—principal and interest—be expended in, say. 10 years in such a way that all Maori children would benefit and the impetus of the drive become more quickly apparent. (2) That the word Maori be taken from the name of the foundation if for no other reason than that it caused pakeha jealousy The emotional content of the word added to administration difficulties. (3) That if the money were not all to be ex-

pended in 10 years, that its interest be spent on Maoris for. say, 10 to 15 years and then its scope extended to include others. <4) That families applying for grants produce an annual budget to show how they had spent -what they already get.

Asked about the term “hand-outs.” used in his address to the Kaikohe Rotary Club. Dr. Paewai confirmed his use of it and said he included in this the misuse of social security benefits. There were Maori families in the district who lived absolutely on such benefits, he said.

They became used to having something for nothing, loafed around, and their homes and children suffered Nothing was put aside for education and he felt that they would regard the foundation as something which would provide for this anyhow.

The Maori who qualified for assistance should give an undertaking to repay a portion of the grant. “What I am trying to do is to provoke people who may have misgivings to speak up so that those who are going to administer the foundation will jolly well look carefully at it,” he said