THE MAORI.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1751, 27 September 1905, Page 68

THE MAORI.

EDUCATION OF HIS CHILDREN. PAUPERISED BY GAMBLING. Some interesting references to the education of Maori children are made by Mr W. W. Bird, Inspector of Native Schools, in his annual report to the Minister of Education. There are many conditions affecting the attendance of the children in the face of which a set of regulations compelling attendance indiscriminately would he too severe, says the inspector. In several native schools children are to he found who daily travel to and from school distances of from trwo to seven or nine, and even in one case fourteen miles each way. Nor is there any compulsion about their attendance, and it would he unreasonable to make them come in all ■weathers, though many of them do so voluntarily because they like school. The remoteness of the habitations, especially in •gumfields districts, has thus a considerable effect on the attendance. “Another serious matter,” remarks Mr Bird, “is the want of food during the day. Maori children, as a rule, are accustomed to a morning and an evening meal. When they tramp away to school they very rarely indeed take food with them, and I have known them to be the whole day without a bite. Surely this must have its effect upon their constitution, and there can be little room for wonder why they are so liable to fall victims to sickness of one kind or another. Remonstrance with their parents seems to have little effect beyond perhaps bringing forth the remark. that they have no food or no money. And yet these people in places spend their whole time at playing cards or billiards, another factor which not only militates considerably against the success of several of our schools, hut which also, in my opinion, is one of the greatest curses that has ever come upon the Maori. In no part within my knowledge does the billiardtable work such havoc with the people, and consequently with the children, as in Hokianga and far-north districts. The children are often kept up all night billiard-marking, and are utterly unfit to come to school or to work they do come.

“The Maoris are pauperised by gambling ; in one place it was reported that they had gambled away their crops. They are, therefore, in winter time unable to supply either food or clothing for their children, who have to suffer in consequence. The billiard-table is even made part of the furnishing of a tangi. To one gathering of this kind three tables were conveyed, and whoreever a Land Court is assembled they are to be found in numbers. I ascribe a considerable amount of the poverty amongst the people, the consequent fluctuating attendance at - their schools and much suffering amongst the people generally torthe pernioious influence of these billiard-tables, which are to be seen on the gumffelds, in the kainga, and even on the very roadside. Whatever steps are taken to ameliorate the conditions of th§ Maori the suppression of these gambling-dens should be among the very first. There can be no doubt, however, that the greatest factors in producing a good attendance at a native school are the inherent attraction that the school itself has for the children and the confidence the parents have in the master. That is to say, the attendance in many cases depends largely upon the teacher himself, and falling-off in the attendance should be to him the occasion for a little introspection. Schools that ran down to an attendance of nine, twenty-five, forty, twentynine have now, under a change of teacher, forty, fifty, eighty-six, and ninetytwo respectively; and, what is more, this attendance has been maintained for some time. In other cases, a change for the worse has sometimes taken place, and a school of sixty speedily reduced to twenty or thirty. In such a case, unfortunately, the teacher locks for the cause externally; he blames the sarents and seeks the aid of the law. t never seems to strike him that the cause lies within himself, as is shown immediately upon his removal elsewhere. Strict attention to work, sympathy with both children and people, honesty and integrity in dealings with them —these aro the qualities that attract the children and compel the respect of tlio Maori. In short, we want tne man as well as the teacher.