OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 37, 28 September 1911, Page 4

OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

AND THE .MAORIS

The following loiter was received at Wednesday’s meeting of the Education Board from Sir E. 0. Gihbcs, Secretary for Education :—“ln reply to your letter of the 2!th ultimo, i am directed to inform you that in view of the policy of the Government to encourage in every way the' attendance of Maori children at the public schools, it does not appear emit the department should take any action to promote the establishment!, of a native school at Parihaka. With regard to the grounds on which objection is taken to the attendance of Maori children at the Pungarehu School, the following consideration should, 1 suggest, be brought under the committee's notice:—

1. Typhoid is not a communicable disease* to the extent suggested, it would at tile most be allowable to exclude from the school any child at whose home the disease is known to exist.

2. The second objection is one that is not confined to Maori children: there are, of course, many public schools in which some of tao Europeans are open to the same reproach. Such children are'not excluded, however, there are other ways of dealing witli them. The Department's experience with native schools enables it to say that lay the exorcise of proper care and supervision on the part of the teacher, Maori children need not be accused of unclcauliness no more than others; the teachers understand that any want of cleanliness will be held to reflect upon them. If there is a Maori on the Pungarehu Committee it , would bo well to get him to be responsible for the cleanliness of Die Maori children. 3. The Education Act allows no distinction of race. Maoris have the same rights under it as Europeans. There are some 500 public schools that have Maori children attending them, and it would lie out of the question to make a precedent for a general demand for separate schools. “With regard to tho particular school in question, 1 should like to point out that tho Maoris have not only the rigat, but the obligation, to attend it, and that tho Department would be gratified if the committee wither than discourage the Maoris, do what they can to promote their fitness to become ordinary members o! the community.”

Tho secretory to the Uoarcl stated that he had sent a copy of this letter to the Pnngarohn School Committee.