NATIVE SCHOOLS.
COMPARED; .WITH V EUROPEAN.
THE HON G. FOWLDS'S IMPRESSIONS.
1 v The. Hon.vG; .:Fowl^a.'(llinistci I 'for. Healthnnd.Education). a returned-.to - /Wellington
, on -Wednesday evening. After leaving hero in . the middle of last moQtlii'ho went to Napier, and on via Wairoa to-Gisborne, fcheucq. following tho coast-lino north, t with'an occa- .... where Nativo and.otljcr schools, wero to bo found: Tho was traversed, 1 and {ho -.Minister 'then pro- . ceeded to Opotiki alid Wlidkatane, striking i . inland from there to 'Botorna. - -Afterwards .Mr. Fowlds visiiSd'-iiiteJiiTaujio, where'some r v :...-Native schools woroidomgrgood work.
Cleanliness of Schools. ~/ . ->"Tho trip was-undertaken primarily-to see,v. tho work that is being dono intho Native ; r ; .' schools," said iho'Minister, laiJij'irigTo y, " i than .satisfied ■'with-whaib-'1 sccnv 'Somc time .ago/statements Press . about the cleanliness .of tho Native.schools, and that sanitary conveniences wero conspicuous by then nbsoifcd * InisitcdTSS Ndj . . tivo schools (besides>3o '.public; schools) = duzv mg my, trip,/ijnd'l liaye no {.hesitation in | ■ ;v'o j> ( clcaii.lißLess_ >. ; Native" ■-schools, J :especiariy in /pgarfl "to v ■ v .wAy .->n - .which -- desks / and "'school furniture* ; : ;SgpnergljKwerq.-kept^as: : immenselx;si™ri9r' to:that of the public •• (Ei\rop«;ar[)//ftclKfotyv portance/of iha|)its' of .cleanlinesses 'impressed-' : of tho schools I visited havo been in use for .20 pij-25'tyears,vaiid they. Jacked ;%•jr.v compared •wi th;':SQnra; in ;v publicsschools . •.. . .had vonly; been:m'Uj«j' fpr.'fivcr "Or-.six years. ■■■■{.'.■■:.. The .cleaning volthe-.-schpols.and .• desks," . added.the.Minister, "was in'every caso dooe, :• . by ,tho children themselves; and ln'Bomo.in-" : stances- tho"Nativo~eommittee;""a'nd~Ma6ri'. men and ivomen —no . doubt parents of-' the children—gavo a: hand with the work, and no • j;. money required to ; be: • allowedto ; the ;; V.' : f .for: scliool cleaning or other such ! ; pnrposes. Hie result was that the -Dopart- ; ment . were ablo to supply freo books, and :ir ■■■: allow school material to these schools at a much lon or rate per pupil than in the case ■ c:,v■■■:■ ;. of tho .committees tho gfdiiprj • public schools.., 'A'high standard of'cleanliness was - alsoJiisistediupom ill -regard :chijdre.n.. :!£■ $-.9]sd,,w aiitj p fjr";^i|ior7wwec^nde'd£ class.-.: -The, regulars enforcemenfeiofCthat'-iruJei resulted. m the bulk of, tho children going - clean - and.vtidy rto ischool. ;'slnstead, "also,.- of tho; iithoVscß'odlgi.'bemg conspicuous i by. their absence,' tho :re'.verse' was tho casq..pr 'many instances. . In ' only one caso was thore; any tiling .that' could . bo found fault with, and 'that particular in- ; stanco was accounted for. All that was reV'ir&d 'was for.tho committee's' attention to ■7 v i .bo called to any shortcomings^ : and they wero . .1: - immediately put right. At tho schools," ex--,plained the Minister,' "where only Ivativo » . ' children attended the committeo consisted entirely of -Maoris,-but at,those..whora..white. \ children alsq. 'were . present ; the 'committees . • . wero mised." .
! J : yiy-Oy- \y- f ~i.< ;;y 1 A Sad Fdatare. *■ ' li - J ' ' • v , , ..OBPj. sadrfeaturo .in- connection; vwithy tho -work of .the Native schools was the of ; .; .... ; pubhchouscs in; tho' vicinity.. Aiiyono 'going s^4lr'.™is^ ; -tH''sqh6ols;p6uld. tell from;the ap- -•:<!. rVP^ii'anfc^-of 1 a"' Jiilblic£-'i hoUse ' otrsted m the neighbourhood'^' "lit, •- spn)p, ; casesy" said • Mr. jlWldp/' wp found ■;: ■ publichouses -in ' tho most out-of-the-way • jj: positions,which, could--,havo ;no . other ' object-1 for their .existenco ..tljan the- -supplying,'off v.-' Natives.- -with- drink -In. one., caso - invtirJ/(gaTC a'Maori hpy of about-fifteon. or .v' ■ »fst«on?ycars"6f'7ige;tt.jshil]ing!for^asßistii]gii with tho luggrfg<S J 'Bofore "he. .-.V... . finished tho work-.tho .boy. was,.found .inside the hotel getting puUidoi''pint 6f beerl", ;.' •. Attendance and Truants. .• i !: '^ aon scholar li£\d -littlo- fhanco : p of ; ,-i tho.-flag.',' It was .remnrkabloihow j ■ a 'Maon=.coni4nlttcemaii' ot'i chairmlmi limited round.after a truant.,-If:a boy continued in - hi/evil ways tho parent would be fined, and the-foo-would bo collected and provide prizes for those scholars most regular ...ln^theuvattendance. ■. • - .y ,V:; V.7.'.' Dftfev: .: i tho j';NatM ■; : ochools -was much- higher ■ than-at tho -public scliriols, .iakingi;.the'.Jattor,,; generally The .. •'• work anddnflueiico of'tlie 'ibhSol 'teidhors ill .something that i. had' to be; -proud of:' > .These <>;• tcachers-also wcro-generally- held m- luprlt" respect .by.Mthe Natives, >wh6 would Sdo-almost ■ : anything' m their work. S ; >-; yv ' Statements Refuted. •>. /\S C r i 1 y;;y,yTho..•jn ; ;Jvatiye on ; ; ;:■ In-^inAny/.-.bf^tho.. schcMjls-itheyl^adpupils'".iip.- .. to-.fho Sixth-,. and-in .soma l upv{o'> '.. ;. the' Seventh,[Standard;: :jYefy'i viiluablq "wpffc" ; ,and i'byivnioansc-'of v'instruotion. m .iiumber-:of tho-schools: had-acquired ; v.:. workshops..;.for sti'aiiiing. ■.childrd;ii/,'iiil.>.;WQod- ; t i.y ?.; ;wprk;i-5 .®6^^'fldi , . | other articles/ which' they 'were dBlS'-'to! sell// and 'for-' carrying '.oil the workshops- Scmie 6f tho toclinfal solool sf;v j-.\ buildings, had bceir-provtfled -;wholly, by;the / ~- ; Natives;,without, a penny of cost to tho De- < - -partmont.. In.ollo or two cases Mr. Fowlds got' requests for- ii,£ou i%aubsidicf7!» provide yj ■'■:h yift^rorksiidps. ~: ? 4: y r-®o.'>Ni%e«; of ...the., ! material 'and'/erect; tlie' i_buildiii" tliemy; selves... .'"They aro , vory ; Keen "'indeed ■y;;the , '^linisteryv^ ! sy'rV:' ;: nra .; 1.; '. : It-had, been, y;.' -;i • merit';'sppnt money..pqr head .., .: on - thfl*. attendanco' of^ l, t!iB > "JTative j:'' / ofi-thesDominioirwilhis wiisr-a •! > ■ cpstvof.coiuluotiiijf'somo :publio-s<tliaols-an:-.th«" tfia'n r; '.twi<;o' v ' head as-in. the caso 1 6f tlioilir^city'School's^ of Maoris ouo had to.ohlninate th(S cffc-ct of sfljp .faptfifeoi)»e;.'£iead"of. tho"public>' schoolsit yi y. larßOiv-ilp.'.tTio. gratuitous 'Jiclptoi-ltjiedVJflQrjs*' . . "vTTaking! the wholo of •tho' schoolsnwii haw :•. V •: -dbndlud^^' ''■botlif.Eiifopean anjl. if"ound""thau -. vriiorever- being'..-doni->tit'iout-side '' snbjects, such .a3 in , aiSf yV-' i.'alertnfess^'-'of.;tho.;pupilsp
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