UNIVERSITY SENATE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 January 1909, Page 4

UNIVERSITY SENATE.

THIRD. DAY OF SESSION. MAORI AS A MATRICULATION SUB-' '.:'■■'.'■ JECT. . ,- ; ; ■:■-. (D\ TELEGDiI'fI—I>UESS ASSOCUTIOS.t '' \. . ■-.' Auckland, January 22. A memorial from the Maori Conference, hold in Wellington last year, praying that the.Maori language might-be added to. the list of optional/subjects for the matiicula- ; won examination/ was read at • the University Senate this afternoon. The memorial pointed .out that Maoris seeking "to'enter, upon a university course 'were under a great disadvantage in having to be instructed and examined in a language not their mother tongue. mile the ftrench , and i German resident shared largely in-this disadvantage the Maoris were not (like them) given the '■ opportunity of using their mother tongue an an examination subject. : The University of Colony had remedied a similar: un. e 9uahty„by permitting the Zulu, Basuto. and Jiafflr tongues to be used as an optional subject for matriculation. The Bombay University dw the same-in regard to: six different languages, native to the Indian' PoS Eula U d , "'s*■'■ M ' Gm ' University,' Unada, extended the same privilege to the aboriginal .inhabitants. The Maori was, in _a worse position than many otner . aboriginal races in the ■- British 1 Jimpire,, who had: never' been'- pro.: mised by solemn treaty: "all 'the rights and_pnvileges of- British subjects." . It was ritally necessary that tho talented and am- ; bihous among- the Maori youth.-should be thoroughly conversant with and masters of then- mother tongue,-in order :that they might exert their ; influence on "their own people. The exclusion, of the Maori; language from all'places in the .'University/cal- : ondar, either induced them to drop the study (and so -become less 'useful 'to their own people and to the whole State),; or'it forced thenr to carry .a .large' burden of useless 1 : knowledge.: towards their: university career.' The Maori tongue, was more useful to members ■of :the learned professions practising- in New Zealand, and especially to members:of the medical profession, than any other living language, except English.. The memorial/ therefore, asked the: senate to ordain: that the Maori language should be ■ added ; to '■ the list of optional subjects for: tie. matricula-' tiori examination, and be. held to be "a modern language for the purposes of: the niedi--cal preliminary examination of"the New Zea- V land ; University.,.■'■'. "-■ -.'-.,-. : .,-.... ■,:"?. ;. 'Mr. Hogben said that'-the'question wac'not an easy, one to decide. .He moved- that the senate approvo of the inclusion of Maori m the optional subjects for; matriculation, and- refer.-the';matter: to ; the! Authors and Periods Committee.. •,'..-■-:' ~Mr.: r . E. Baume seconded the motion. . The vice-chancellor (Hon. : C. r C. Bowen) Ispoke of .the necessity of preserving in its i purity a language which contained • much traditional.lore..'-He thought that it wouldbe a very good thing to encourage people.tc ; j.tako up the study .of the Maori -tongue^'as.'. it was. one that, would' soon: become corrupted. At the present time, he understood: that it was possible to preserve the Maor) tongue in its classic form,,but unless stepr. were taken to do :sp "classic" - ; Maori' woulc be lost. ' '':-■'■:- : : : ■ '.■ '*:.-,-.■;--.:.'■'-■:.-' ;,;., The motion.was :carri^..:;.:;' ; .::i^:::v.^:::