TE AUTE COLLEGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 275, 14 August 1920, Page 11

TE AUTE COLLEGE

REBUILDING GRANT ASKED

/deputation representing the Board of Trustees of Te Auto College placed a request for financial assistance from tho Government before tho Minister of Education (Hon. C. J. Parr) yesterday morning. The Hon. Dr. Pornaro introduced the deputation, and Mr. Tau Henarc, who was also present, apologised for the absenco of tho Hon. •A. T. Ngata.

Mr. T. Crosse, of Hastings, chairman of tho Board of Trustees, said that they wore finding, owing to tho increased cost of everything required, that it was almost impossible to carry on with their present resources. They had at present 160 pupils between the Te Auto College for boys and the Hukarere Girls' School, and with their present commitments had only about .&1000 per year to carry on with. Tho school at Hukarere had been totally destroyed by fire some years ago, while they had had two fires at Te Aute during tho war, both of which had caused considerable damage. In order to wake good as much of tho damage as possiblo they had had to encumber their endowment lands, and it would be some years 'before they would be. receiving the whole benefit of the returns from those lands. Only a portion of tho school destroyed by tho fires had been rebuilt, anil thev were suffering from a very serious lack of accommodation. They felt that they were justified ;in asking for some help from the ■ Government. They held that the education of the Maori was just as important as that of European children, if not more so. They might manago with their present resources if they did not encourago tho Natives to send their children to the schools, but at the present time an increasing tendency to seek the benefits of higher education was being shown by the Maoris; particularly those from tho East Coast. They had reserved about GOO acres of their endowment lands, and with that they hoped to mako agricultural education a special i feature of tlieir woTk. ~„.,, Tho Rev. H. J. Simpkins said chat tuo scheme which they hoped to develop was to educate all their pupils in general subjects np Vo standard of the Publio Service Entrance Examination. Inert those who showed special aptitudo might ho taken further in scholastic subjects, while others should bo trained in agricultural subjecifs. There was provision for twenty Government scholarships, worth .£36 a year each. Atpresentonly 2S of the total wero held, and if was suggested 'that perhaps illio balance might bo granted to children at present attending the primary department of tlio two instStutions. Ho gave details showing tho congestion at present existing owing to the' want of more buildings. Ho was aware, ho said, that the ordinary high schools wero opeu to Maori boys and girls, but the percentage antending them was very small, tho result being Hint Te Auto and Hukarere provided tho greater paTt of the secondary education for the; young Maoris. There wero it number of oAher schools, such as the St. Stephen's School at Auckland, but only primary subjects were taught there. The building scheme which they contemplated would cost over .£13,000, nnd ho suggested that illie Government and the Board of Trustees might each provide one-half of that sum.

Archdeacon H. Williams said that tho point might bo Taiscd that this was u church school.. 11l must ho remembered that this was practically tho only secondary school .of its' kind, and recognising llhat fact, tho authorities admitted children of all religious faiths Were. Wo religious pressure had ever been applied in any way. Pupils came to tho schools from all over tlio Dominion, there being a considerable number sent by tho St. Stephen's School in Auckland.

The same points were emphasised by the Rev. F. A. Bennett, who said he wished to make a special plea on behalf of the education of the Maori people. Tho Minister in reply expressed his entire sympathy with fJho cause of Maori education. The plan to develop the- agricultural side inparticular met with his warm «mnnonda'von. He said bo did not earo how far they went along that.mad. He said he would go into the| matter, and woii'd undertake to give an answer within the next few weeks, conveying what tlio decision of the Government would be. If it was found that their financial position was strong enough to allow them fb carry on, ho was bound to say that lie could not hold out hnpcs'of any great finpiicial n«si Franco. HoT-oypr. as w>n a* he could place tho matter before tlio Government, he would do M>, and would cemmnnienfe the decision of the Government to Dr. Pomaro.