MAORI EDUCATION

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4566, 8 November 1937, Page 4

MAORI EDUCATION

king country penalised. NATIVE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS. The need for reorganisation of the system of educating Maori children in this district to enable them to share in the advantages and facilities open to Maoris in other parts was stressed at a meeting of the Maniapoto Maori Association held at the Te Kuiti Maori Pa on Saturday last. Representatives from the various sub-tribes were present. It was pointed out that Maoris attended two types of schools, the native school and the public school attended by children of both the Maori and pakeha races. At the native schools the pupil was provided with school requisites and even such things as medicines. This was of very great benefit to the children whose parents, usually living in poor circumstances, otherwise in a large number of instances withdrew their children from school far too early owing to their inability to purchase the books and other things required. Even more important was the allocation of scholarships in native schools to enable promising pupils to attend various church schools in the country, and perhaps from those schools further scholarships would carry the pupils to the universities. .

In the public schools, however, the Maori had to pay all his expenses, and Maori pupils were ineligible for the scholarships which had resulted in so many Maoris from native schools receiving a proper education. Even the sixteen scholarships open to Maoris from public schools in New Zealand had been withdrawn, the reason given being that Maoris were eligible to go to the high schools. The statement that 95 per cent, of the Maoris of the King Country never obtained a proficiency certificate was made during the discussion. It was pointed out that there were only three native schools in the King Country, whereas in the East Coast and North Auckland areas the majority of the Maoris attended native schools. This meant that the Maoris of this district were being deprived of the advantages to which it was felt they were entitled, and which were necessary if the King Country Maori was to take his proper place in the com-

munity. The reorganisation of native education in this area to provide the Maori children with proper educational facilities was deemed to be the pivot in the effort to raise the morals and standard of living of the Maori people. In this the high schools were not providing the outlet that was desirable; the church schools, for instance, had syllabuses that more adequately catered for.the needs of the

Maori race. The Association decided to forward a resolution asking for reorganisation of the education of Maoris, to the New Zealand Maori and Pakeha Federation; and also to support a resolution on the matter carried by the Hangatiki Maori Institute.