A NATIVE SCHOOL WANTED.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XX, Issue 2382, 21 March 1893, Page 2

A NATIVE SCHOOL WANTED.

Seteral years ago we suggested that the time had arrived wben a native school should be established in the vicinity of Hawera. The matter was taken up some* what warmly, and tbe then Native Minister, tbe Premier of to-day, Hon. Mr, Ballance, was interviewed, and promised every assistance. However, nothing was done. We venture to again suggest the need of such an institution. There must be a considerable number of children in the various villages round about here, and tbe fact tbat a few of them have lately been sent to the publio school is evidence of the parents' desire that they may receive instruction. Tbe natives in the district are, on the whole, wealthy, and will continue to grow in riches at a progressive rate, and certainly an effort ought to be made to teach them a better way of living than that which they follow at tbe present time. A good native Bchool would be of great advantage to tbe children growing up, and would tend to raise the race in this district to a higher rung in the ladder of civilisation. There is little likelihood of many of them finding tbeir way into the ordinary public schools ; and though it is a favorite idea in some quarters that they should be encouraged lo do so, there are a good many drawbacks to tbis at present. It is a very fine sentiment that the two races should be educated together and grow up as one people, but generally Bpeaking there is not mncb " sweetness and light " in tbe native kaiangaa, and, though there are exceptions, native children are very far below European children in cleanliness and pleasant habits. Levelling up is a very good precept, but levelling down is far more common in praotice, and until the native children have a great deal of tbe roughness taken off them, tbe parents of European children would very much prefer tbat the natives should be educated in tbeir own schools. Apart from this aspect of the question there is the other tbat tbe bulk of the native children could not be induced to come into the public schools. As we bave said, tbe natives in this district are well off, and there is reason to believe tbat if they were appealed to they would assist in establishing and maintaining a school. Will somebody take tbe initiative in approaching the Minister for Native Affairs, or the Minister of Education, or whoever is tbe proper authority to apply to ?