THE KIRIKIRI MAORI SCHOOL: A PROTEST.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIV, Issue 7092, 7 December 1891, Page 2

THE KIRIKIRI MAORI SCHOOL: A PROTEST.

; ; ; (To the Editor.) Site,—We bave. received :a letter. IsUiflg us know tkab'the Chairman of the Bo'arJ of Edncation has agreed to.payua £110 for the Maori E?hool at Kitikiri.so that: this Board ot Education may do what they think fit,The Europeans at Kupata, Kopu, and Waraboe petitioned to take the 12&&iri school away, so that it ini?hf not beefed any more the Government , Maori' School, When the petitioners'heard that the Govern-. - merit or .the Board; of Eduoatio'n Had taken their part; they were sure that the'B'oard o(' Edncation would take .the sohool as they have been \vißhin)r; : During th«r'meeting they said something.abont the Maoris, to tho effect that they did-not. want to let their children be taught at the sime sohool as the children of th 9 pimvi ymU tati Maori-, and we know the person who said' these words, That is why we know they want tho sohool for their, ohildran only,> We'know if the -Boird ol Education were to take the sohool they wou!d not teach our children as' they are teaching them now, as: they have - v already used those .Maori words ■■ "Weare ' thinking they will tell the master not to teacl onr children properly, 1 'the master wHlbe sub to toll us he is teaching them the Bame aslie ' teaches the European ohildren, Aa to that this is what wo say: ■ • -_Iu the year 18SG and 1889 there \vsro t\y 0 Maori boysi belonging to the Parawai aohool, named Hori More uncl Piripi Wetane, They

were at Parawai school forffroi r o cr six years, and tboy were nearly educated according to the time they were there. These two ; boys come to tbo Kiri Kiri Maori sohoilto y try (or the Makatirii i chohrahip, which 13 - 3 for 'the Maori children only of the tiovern--1 "nient Maori rchcol. Mr Stewart tried Hori More, an J Mr Anderson tried riripl Wctane on I they were put in the second standard, 'wh'ch is the nf'xt to the last, and they were • there to the day they left." Well, this is wonderful, Two children ; belonging;-,to the Parawai school, which bslongs to the Board of Education, to be put in tho second standard, havinfr been tosghobl -. for .five or six yea s bs'ore!. ' During that'time there were lots of Meori children who were in tho fourth standard, who commenced in the year 188 V some of them were sent t> St Stephen's, Auckland, and four of thorn were ready for I e Auto college, and two went, and two did not. ■ : ■ Now.; the question is, what mado thoao two'bo.is riot know abythins; during the the time they .were at PuYawai school, which is, we suppose, higher than thfi KiriKiri ? - 'l he master of the Parawai school , perhaps.'have said that tbe?o two boya did no - , know' how. to speak English wlion they first went to Behool, or he (the master)' 'did not know: how tp speak Maori to them—the last' i'< our answer, That 'is

Wly;. : 'V c -will 'not give the KiriKiri school uptolhe;Bb'arfj of and we will keep it.uhder/tho Government's p.iwer, bo . .* that onrchildren may hav:' 1 a sdiool. We will keep it until the 'Governmcut will not - be'pns, and • then will, end; our''children's .? chanoes,of being tauphfc at school, HoaniNahe (for , , , W, H, TAiPAiil and'o'hers)