NATIVE SCHOOLS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 263, 30 July 1908, Page 9

NATIVE SCHOOLS.

A RACIAL QUESTION. A good deal of- discussion took place in tjio House of op Tuesday regarding European 1 phildren at N.ativ'e schools.' Tho piaffer arpsp out of a poti-' .tjon from Tfumarnpui residents, who iva'rited. a school erected there for the purpose of "providing their children witli an education under healthy cpnditipns, and in stich a manner as would enable them to djschargo tho duties' of citizens ' with satisfaction' to tliemselves and creditably to tlie Coniinion." Tliero was rio desiro to dppriyp tfie Natives of their schbol, but' ithero wero sufficient reasons why,'a separate school fpr Eurqpean children should exist from a public health point of view. The Education Committee of the House reported f.hat in view ..of the fact that a school already existed in Taumarunui they had no recommendation to mako. Mr. Jennings said the Tauniarunu| peoplo had not been treated fairly, and a school should bp giveii them, Mr. Ng&tji sajd a large principle was involved. He pointed out that the separate School was [asked for from a health' point of"vjew. There was the allegation that the Maori children were not fit "from a health point of view for European children to mix with, and also a racial question. Tho Minister had laid it down that whero the Natives -predominated at a Natjye school, the eon-, trol shouljl bo under tho Nativo Schools' Department, and wljero tho European children wero' irf tlio majority'tho Education Hoard should take it over. This principle ( should he [observed here. Mr. Maasey said that, when at'Taumarunui lie had received representations pn this matter," and he would now say that t|io serious disabilities the Taumarunui cljjldrpn wore under should bo.rcmpvcd. Tho Minister said that ho liad boon waiting for the European children to o.xpeed the Natives in number to bring tho school under the Auckland Education Board, The racial question ■ was at tho bottom of tlio petition, and he objected' to making any difforoncn in' this respect. A similar'past) had cropped lip at Iluntly. Tho Government had nover yet discriminated between the children of the two races. Ho approved tho decision of the select.committee. Tho report was ordered to lio upon tho tablo.