“Education Failure” In Lack Of N.Z. Culture

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31830, 7 November 1968, Page 12

“Education Failure” In Lack Of N.Z. Culture

The fact that New Zealand had so far failed to achieve a truly New Zealand and national culture representing the integration of Maori and non-Maori elements was basically the result of a failure of the education policy, Dr R S. Duff said at a meeting last night of the Canterbury branch of the Royal Society He said the creation of this

culture was one of the great tasks facing the people of New Zealand.

Dr Duff was speaking tn support of a motion proposed by Mr A. D. Lowe and adopted by the meeting that the council of the society give urgent consideration to remedial action aimed at rectifying the situation which gave rise to the unequal levels cf achievement between Maori and non-Maori segments of the population. The branch will ask its council to investigate ways of giving some tangible support to its expressed concern.

Notice of the motion was given by Mr Lowe at the last meeting of the society after Mrs W. Tirikatene-Sullivan, M.P., had given an analysis of census figures which showed that in most fields of endeavour the Maori level of achievement was far below that of the non-Maori. The branch, by its motion, concurred with her contention that positive remedial action taken in the near future in the field of education in particular could largely determine the future of equitable race relations in New Zealand. Dr Duff said that as education had been made the special scapegoat, by the same token the remedy to the problem might also lie in education.

He said the Maori people had many superior characteristics. It was a pity New Zealand did not have the opportunity of absorbing them into a national culture.