Speaking Maori
Sie, —On Tuesday night’s “Eye Witness” programme, Mrs Tirikatene-Sullivan stated that pupils were punished for. speaking Maori in the playground — a statement that is almost universally accepted. Strapping is often mentiqned as the standard punishment., Never, as a pupil and a teacher in King Country schools, did I ever hear or see the speaking- of Maori being punished. “Talking in class” was often punished in the past. Perhaps pupils claiming to be punished for talking in Maori were really being punished for talking — period. Just think how many thousands pf pupils have been punished for talking English. Will the Regional Superintendent of education answer these questions: (1)
Where can-anyone find the laws or regulations in our education system making the speaking of Maori a punishable offence? (2) Were teachers ever, during training or in practice, instructed to punish pupils for speaking Maori? — Yours, etc., CHARLES WILSON. August 5, 1980. [Mr B. K. Gainsford, Regional Superintendent of Education, replies to the two questions as follows: “(1) I know of no regulation which makes . the speaking of Maori in schools a punishable offence. (2) I have never heard of any teacher in training being instructed to punish pupils for speaking Maori.”]
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Press, 14 August 1980, Page 16
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201Speaking Maori Press, 14 August 1980, Page 16
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