TEACHING OF MAORI.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 18760, 26 December 1930, Page 11

TEACHING OF MAORI.

USE AS SCHOOL SUBJECT. The inclusion of the Maori language as a subject for teachers’ examinations was suggested by Mr A. M. Jones, when a deputation from the New Zealand Federation of Teachers recently interviewed the Minister of Education, the Hon. H. Atmore. The Maori language, said Mr Jones, was the original language of the country, and had left us a great heritage in the way of place names and lore. There was a tendency nowadays to introduce the subject of Maori into the schools through songs and music. The Minister informed the deputation that he had had five Maori songs included in the song book for the schools which was to be printed shortly. Mr. Jones said the pronunciation of Maori words to-day was deplorable, and he felt sure that if the subject were taken up by the teaching body better pronunciation would result. The subject of Maori could be taken by those who desired to be certificated by taking a degree in the arts course, including in the prescription for the B.A. degree, in the matriculation examination and also in the Public Service examination. It seemed unreasonable therefore, that a teacher going for C certificate should be excluded from the right to include Maori as an optional subject. There were other reasons why the Maori language should be studied. There was an increasing interest being taken to-day in Maori generally, and that interest was not confined to New Zealand, but applied also to other races in the Pacific. A great deal of works in the Pacific. A great deal of work was being done in collecting the lore, songs, traditions and evidence of the culture of all the Polynesians, and as Maori was one of the key languages it was desirable that it should be fostered as much as possible. Then again, Maori was a language which was very pure in the vowel sound, and at present we heard complaint about the tendency of our language to deteriorate under American influences. If the children could be taught the correct pronunciation of Maori vowels there was no doubt it would react very favourably on spoken English. As a member of the Polynesian Society he knew that Mr. Elsdon Best and Mr Johannes Andersen were quite in accord with the suggestion, as no doubt were other members—Sir Apirana Ngata and Bishop Williams. The Board of Ethnological Research was gathering all sorts of information, and a great deal of this was not being translated into English, but was being left in the original Maori, hence those who desired to study it should have a knowledge of the Maori language. The Minister said he was a strong believer in the teaching of Maori. In fact, he was heretic enough to gay that it was probably more important for a New Zealander to have a knowledge of Maori than it was for him to be acquainted with the French language. Probably not more than 2 per cent, of New Zealanders would ever find the necessary for a knowledge of French, especially when one considered that all the best works were translated into English. It might be urged that the learning of a foreign language was of great value so far as mental discipline was concerned, but he contended that mental discipline could be obtained in the study of more practical subjects, subjects in closer touch with the realities of life. He felt strongly on the point and anything he could do in the matter would be done. New Zealanders to-day did not know Maori; many ' did not know the history of the Maori race, otherwise they would have a higher appreciation of it. Mr. Jones was correct in saying that we would speak better English if we knew more Maori. With probably the exceptions of the Italians, there was no race that made such musical use of the vowels as the Maoris.

Regarding the question raised by Mr Jones —the certification of teachers under the proposed regulations— he strongly believed in the proposal. He knew from his own experience that there were men who were eminently qualified to give the teaching, but who could not show any certificate, and these men must be judged on the face that they were doing the work.