TEACHING THE MAORI.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 119, 20 April 1932, Page 4

TEACHING THE MAORI.

LUNCH CLUB ADDRESS. The guest-speaker of the Citizens’ Luncheon Club yesterday was Miss E. M. Kinross, lady principal of the Turakina Maori Girls’ College, at Martoo, who delivered an address on “Teaching the Maori.” Visitors to whom a welcome was extended were Miss E. M. Truman (Marton). Miss D. Stairs (Palmerston North), Rev. L. G. B. Whitehead (Palmerston North), Rev. A. N. Scotter (Palmerston North), Mr H. Y. Lethbridge (Turakina) and Mrb D. Collis (Kairanga). New members welcomed from the waiting list were Dr. H. H. Allan, Messrs N. H. Bailey, C. Biarre, W. Cottrill, H. Duxbur.v, J. L. Harwood, K. W. Jones, W. Laurie, P. M. Moran and R. W. Priest. Mr D. Morrison occupied the chair and introduced Miss Kinross.

Miss Kinross said that some people were prone to think that money spent oil the education of the Maori was a waste. She desired to defend the Maori, who was not “going' back to the mat.” The small Native schools did fine work as well as the boarding schools, the teachers in the backblocks performing good service. In considering the education of the Maori, conditions of living had first to be ‘remembered, as they were not always of the best on the average, although some homes were models for Europeans to copy. In the ordinary primary school it was difficult to link the Maori with the higher stage of life as the time spent in school was not sufficient and the knowledge attained ivas spoiled after they left. ‘I have no hesitation in saying that the boarding schools for Maori boys and girls have brought the desired results. These are not a burden on the taxpayer, but are church schools and the inspectors’ reports speak highly of them, said Miss Kinross, in quoting from;, the report to Parliament from the senior inspector. The Turakina School was under the control of the Presbyterian Church and the other churches, too, were doing fine work. To the superficial observer there might be'no appreciable change in the Maori, but those who studied the subject found-a definite improvement. The term “college” was likely to be misleading, but the Turakina school was not a “blue-stocking” institution. It w'as really a school for domestic training for the girls to make good homes. There were no maids kept. The fee ivas so low that no parents were prevented from sending the girls and these did not cover the cost which was borne by the Church. However, the work done warranted the expense. The pupils w-ere eager to learn, keen about their u'ork, tractable, industrious and well worth everything being done for them. The Education Department gave a

limited number of departmental scholarships, but these had also suffered reductions. Miss Kinross had been amazed at the Nationaj Economy Commission’s recommendation to cut out the scholarships, for the Government gave only the scholarships. The Commission had evidently thought that the Maori ‘‘‘went buck to the mat,” but it was relieving to note that the recommendation was not adopted. If the phrase “back to the mat” were followed literally, there was really no disgrace in it. The trouble rose when' the Maori felt “too educated” to work when back home. The change to be .made must be gradual and we were prone to be too impatient. If the Maori did not become a European immediatelv we dubbed him or her a failure, but it was less than one hundred years since the country became a British possession. The Maori’s progress was really remarkable. In 50 years we expected the Maori to do what we took 2000 years to do, and we were not yet perfect. Miss Kinross said she wished to disseminate the true facts. Most girls were being trained “to go back” and no matter where they were they were making a struggle to improve. They very rarely competed with Europeans. The girls had homes of tlreir own —a step forward —a garden and had

learned to properly rear their children. “We tried to give the Maori our sympathy instead of oiir ready impatience,” said Miss Kinross. Sympathy, understanding} encouragement were needed to help the young folk, she concluded. Rev. G. T. Brown voiced the club’s appreciation to Miss Kinross for her “ignorance-disseminating address.”