MAORI SCHOLARS NEED EARLIER SCHOOL CONTACTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22816, 10 December 1948, Page 4

MAORI SCHOLARS NEED EARLIER SCHOOL CONTACTS

The importance of offering the right emironment to Maori scholars who show sufficient promise to justify their preparation for public examinations was emphasised by the rector of the Gisborne High School. .Mr. .1. Lcggat, in his report submitted at tiie annual break-up ceremonies of the school held last eveniivt-

The rector pointed out that the Maori race as a whole would surfer if too few of its number qualified to take positions for which public and professional examinations were the necessary qualification.

"It is with some hesitation that I comment on this subject, but as we have about 100 Maori pupils, I feel that tiie matter is of some importance to the district and to the country,” said Mr. Leggat. Laboured English Expression “At present too few Maoris are working towards professional life and certainly their proportion of candidates for public examinations is low compared with their numbers. “In another generation there is a danger that the spread of Maoris through the population will be unbalanced; that there will be too few with training to speak representatively for them. "At present many Maoris hesitate to enter on courses which will lead them to professional examinations. Those who come from strongly Maori communities have, in many cases, a laboured, though correct, English expression and their very slowness in construction prejudices their chances against their European contemporaries in public examinations which are still largely literary. Stimulus of Good Competition “The subject of the examination of Maoris in this generation is one that would repay study by the Education Department. Those Maori children who show that they have academic promise, and perjiaps only those, should early in their post-primary career be moved to schools where they will come under the stimulus of competition with tha best of the European children. We find, of course, that it pays in the same way to group all children of high intelligence. “The need, I feel, is urgent for the selection of these people, far more than at present and as early as possible, as each delay acts to the disadvantage of the potential professional Maori child. “We have many good Maori boys and girls, but with the continued centralisation, presumably for administration purposes, of qualified men, these pupils left without the necessary professional support and encouragement. Bursaries are available, but something more than money support is necessary before the schools can do what they should be doing in this question.”