N.Z. COLLEGE BAN

Grey River Argus, 2 May 1944, Page 3

N.Z. COLLEGE BAN

On Pacific Islanders NOT A GENERAL ONE. P.A. WELLINGTON, May 1. Referring to -.he reported decision of the Waitaki High School’s Board of Governors not to admit Fijian and Samoan boys as boarding pupils, Hon. D. G. Sullivan to-day said that, inasmuch as the report might be construea as an Unw.llingness to accept Island boys, such an attitude was definitely not that of the Government, nor of the other schools which have been approached. The people of New Zealand generally, were whollv in accord with the policy of giving to the people of the Islands all of the facilities of education that New Zealand could provide. “I understand,” Mr. Sullivan said, “that the resolution at Waitaki arose from a misconception that there was a proposal to place an unduly number of boys at Waitaki School, and that it was not against Island boys a's such. Actually, the Government had not approached the Waitaki High School to accept any particular number of Island boys.” WAITAKI BOARD'S ATTITUDE. NOT YET FINALISED. . P.A. DUNEDIN, May 1. When Hon. D. G. Sullivan’s statement was. referred to-night to the Secretary of the Waitaki High School Board of Governors, Mr. D. V. G. Smith, he said that apparently the Acting-Prime Minister had been misinformed, as a resolution not to admit Fijian and Samoan boys to ths school had not been passed by tbe Board. At the last meeting of the Board, a letter was received from the Rector, Mr. F. Milner, who stated that inquiries had been made by the educational authorities in both Fiji and Samoa, asking that a selected group of the sons of Chiefs be re* ceived as boarders at Waitaki College. zYs this contingency might not arr.ve until the beginning of next year, when he would have retired from the Rectorship, he asked for the Board’s •direction. Personally, he would have no objection to accepting 1 them on . a guarantee of the respective administrations. Mr. Smith said that there was a brief discussion on the letter. No resolution had been passed. It was agreed, on the voices, to hold the matter over, for further discussion at the next meeting, when Mr. Milner would be present.