MAORI EDUCATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14281, 1 August 1908, Page 4

MAORI EDUCATION

lI.—THE NATIVK SCHOOL SYSTEM,

liV ['. A. VOTiXU.

The Minister of Education has recently been chirping cheerfully in praise of •Native schools. Referring to an interview ho had recently with a reporter of the liyttetton Tinfes', it does not appear he. has much improved his knowledge of Native schools; indeed, the best that can be. said'of his uttciaucis is that be speaks kindly of the Native school teachers and their scholars; but really he cannot he taken seriously—his remarks are too vague and specious, and are merely intended to throw dust in the eyes of a public who, generally speaking are ignorant of, because they take little or no interest in, the question of Native education. Especially is this the case In the South Island, the people, of which and the parliamentary repiwntatives of which are as lamentably ignorant of Native, affairs as though they were a people of a country in another hemisphere; and, consequently, a great wrong has been and is being done to the Maori race for want of a critical opposition. The Minister is reported as having said -y The teachers were applying themselves to their work with magnificent enthusiasm granted], and were achieving results that were of the. utmost value to the country." flow, in the name of humanity? Are the Native lads being taught agriculture and the manual arts at these schools, or are they apprenticed after leaving school to fanners and tradesmen? Are there any Maori corps, or even many individuals, in our Defenco Forces, military or marine? Are Maori lads and lassies employed in our Postal, Telegraph, or School Departments? Or are the. girls welcome *as domestic servants, notwithstanding the pakeha housewives' difficulty in this matter? Some three or four are being trained as hospital nurses, when scores of them should be under training. The Minister goes on to say: "The teachers were. . .

not only teaching the children to read and write and to turn their accomplishments to the best account [!], but also training them in habits of oider and cleanliness and industry." Oh, Mr Fowlds! what do' you know of these children after they leave these Government Native schools and return to their people? Evidently nothing. Do you think they leaven tinf mass of their people, and improve their habits and morals? Visit their pas, or obtain information from disinterested sources; see them on the racecourses, loafing about street cornels, in the whisky saloons, or at tangis. When you have learnt anything you will admit that education which does not inculcate the moral virtues and lead to after employment is making the last- state of the Maori worse than the first.

Rna, the Maori prophet in the Urewera country, questioned as to his reasons for withdrawing the children of his followers from the schools specially erected for their benefit, gave this reply; "That after leaving these places most of the children soon forgot what had been taught them educationally, but never forgot the vices that frequently come in its train." Rua permits neither drinking, smoking, nor idleness in his settlement. He has taken llis people as far as possible from the. white man's civilisation and whiskv saloons, and finds employment for all his followers. He inculcates the dignity of labour, which the pakeha Native school system has utterly ignored. Hence the degenerate, idle, billiard, beer, oigaretteloving Maori. •

The object of these articles is (o point out some of the faults of the present school system of education. In giving consideration to this subject, it is premised that the white man's Christian civilisation, when applied to the Maori, carries with it obligations and responsibilities, and thaUwe, as the governing race, are morally bound to guide our efforts to influence the Maori so that- he may in time assimilate all that is good in our civilisation, while protecting him from that evil contamination which, unfortunately, comes in its train. Looking back over the past 60 years, can it be said that we have done our best in this matter—that we, have done tho Maori rage more good than harm? I leave the larger aspect of the question there, and limit this article to consideration of the result of our efforts to educate the Maori through the medium of the Government and sectarian Native schools. I submit that these efforts have not been carried out on intelligent lines, with due consideration of how they were adaptable to the habits and customs of tho Natives, and how they could best utilise his natural intelligence and abilities; therefore they have not produced the result- intended and desired. I have previously said the whole system of Native education is cast on inapplicable and unsuitable lines. Armchair theorists have simply applied the same curriculum of education to pakeha and Maori children alike, to be 'assimilated at eight, forgetting the slow stages and long periods through which their own ancestors progressed from a suit of blue paint and a war club to the present sartorial frock coat, silk hat, and' umbrella, forgetting that this curriculum is to equip the pakeha child with the necessary knowledge to enable him to struggle' through the business of his after life, while the Maori, when be finishes his schooling, goes back to his kainga with a mass of nnassimilated knowledge which he finds no use for there, he having no business or professional future.

Tlie first fault- in the Government system of education, and a prolific cause of its failure, is surely found in the regulations which insist that teachers shall convey all information through the medium of the English language. Why, if the Native I schools are to be maintained, should not the Natives' vernacular be the medium used, and English be taught, as a separate subject," as we acquire a foreign language'; An educated person may spkak many languages, but he must be a practised linguisb indeed who does not think in his mother tongue; and why should the Native language, its history, mythology, traditions, and legends be ignored?' If may here be stated that at the. recent examination of of Native school candidates for Te Auto College junior scholarships a curious fact disclosed, in connection with the examination papers was that the candidates are gradually losing knowledge of their own language. In consequence of this, it is said, changes are to be made in the Maori school work; and certainly some changes are to be desired. What the Maori requires is our general knowledge, which surely could be conveyed to him more rapidly through the medium Of his own language. lie will and does pick up our language by association.

. Oliver Goldsmith's ludicrous attempt in Holland to teach Dutch bovs English, ho himself being unable to speak Dutch and tho Dutch boys English, will occur to our readers.

In connection with this, it is satisfactory to find that in the amendment- of the Native School Code teachers are encouraged to teach certain subjects viva voce, instead of by the old waste of time system. This license might with advantage lie extended to almost all of tile smbjecU other than writing and figures and signs. Experience and common sense demonstrate that the cjuickcr and clearer way to a child's understanding is Ihrough. the sfiisp or senses which are most receptive. One child is burner in understanding what lie sees and another what he hears. It. should also be remembered that Hie Maori, ignorant of metals, their use and purpose, had no means of recording ,liis knowledge of things; therefore his education, which in early times ' was extensive ami ranged through astronomy, navigation, pharmacy, botany, agriculture, and the various arts of peace and war, ,vas conducted orally nintil the advent of the nake.ha mirsimiarics; hence his prodigious power of memory, of which the records of the Native Land Court afford proof. This explains the curious fact, noticeable in schools whore children of both races are taught, that up to the Fourth Standard the Maori child is sharper and of keener _ perception than the pakeha child. This is because- the primary education is mostly oral; but in the '.higher 6tflfld.ard.6i the paMia system being cow-

parative, analytic, ami inductive, tlie hereditary faculties of the pakeha child lake him on quickly, and the Maori is left behind, being trammelled by a system which fatigues his mind, loaded as it is will) formulas and signs, proving that, if all education were, conveyed orally and illustrated by practical objects—as is botany in outdoor instruction, —the presumption is that the Maori would advance in front of bis pakeha fellow pupil. Tlw one branch of education in which the. Maori excels is ealigraphy, which suggests that, if Tie were educated, be would probably also excel i>' arts and handicrafts.

The eminent writer Sir Theodore Martin fit-y.s children are not nowadays educated as were the children of the past generation. "The entire educational system to-day is in the wrong direction: we are imparling a smattering of knowledge regarding many tilings that will he of no possible, advantage. U> nine children out of ten, and while, doing this \vc are neglecting those things which aTe '.most essential.'' How true is this of the Native school evstem.