Importance of Native Education

Northland Age, Volume 7, Issue 39, 29 June 1938, Page 1

Importance of Native Education

School Should be Cultural and Social Centre, says Mr. J. G. Barclay, M.P. ' “A native school should form a cultural and social centre for the district in which it is established. The native school belongs to the Maori people who could and should make much greater use of it than they do,” declared Mr. J. G. Barclay, M.P., in addressing the assembly at Kotahitanga marae in the Kaikohe native settlement on Saturday subsequent to the official opening of the new school. Facilities for Native Education Increased During the last 'two and a-half years, under the understanding guidance of the Hon. the Minister of Education, the facilities for native education had been greatly increased, continued Mr. Barclay. The importance of native education, as a major factor in any social and economi'c welfare programing, had been fully recognised by the Government, and much had already been done to improve the opportunities of service in

mese uirecuons. ine iviaori people had always been eager and keen for the advantages of education, and their practical assistance to the schools must be freely acknowledged. To the Maori, one of the chief functions of the Native School had been to teach his child the English language. Today this remained a most important work, but it alone was insufficient. They must all recognise that the Native School had other social responsibilities, and it was m connection with these in particular that much good work had been done of recent years. Recognition of Race In the first place, the Government was of the opinion that the Maori should be proud of his race and its history of adventure and achievement. As they knew, there were many aspects of Maori culture which were good and which they cherished. He referred to their art, some of their craft, their songs and dances. An attempt was now being made to interest the young Maori children in these Maori ways of expression. If this work was worthwhile and if it was to continue, their active assistance to their local teacher was necessary. Social and Economic Needs * But the Maori must live and work in the greater society of New Zealand. The Native School had a duty therefore to teach him healthy ways of living. The Minister of Education had fully realised the value and the necessity of teaching cooking, housework, laundry work, sewing, first aid, infant welfare and agriculture, and with the full co-operation of many Maori communities a number of schools were now equipped with model homes, cookery rooms and woodwork rooms. In the matter of health the I

first aim of the school was to teach good habits. This was not done by talking but by practising daily and by doing those things which led to stronger and cleaner bodies. In this j connection he would like to say that if the best and fullest use was to be made of baths, woodwork and cookery rooms and sports facilities, not only the children but the ex-pupils and grown-up members of the community should organise properly under the direction of the school teacher and the district nurse and freely make use of them. No school can carry out its functions successfully in classrooms that w'ere out-of-date, poorly ventilated or overcrowded. Three years ago many of the Native School buildings and residences were in a deplorable state. Owing to the necessity of replacing many of these buildings and of remodelling others, much time, energy and money, which could have been better employed in providing the extra facilities about which he, had told them, had to be diverted to this greater need. All replacements had been of the most up-to-date open-air type of buildings. In many districts additional rooms of the open-air type had been provided, and in addition to these, teachers’ residences had in many cases been modernised and replaced. Adult Education And finally it would be accepted by all that the process of education never ceased. In the past when the child had left the Native School, or the post-primary school, his future development had been left in a large measure to chance, and very often to agencies that were harmful, physically and morally. Education did not cease when the child left school, and he understood that in full realisation of this fact, the Council of Adult Education would consider means of bringing further education to Maori girls and boys who had left school.