NEWS AND NOTES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19484, 8 May 1933, Page 2

NEWS AND NOTES

The number of Maori children in Wanganui who cannot speak their Native tongue is surprising (says the “Herald”), and in some Maori homes a Native word is seldom heard. This apathy towards the Maori language is encountered mainly in homes that are situated in European localities, away from the Native settlement. A Wanganui school teacher was amazed when one of her little Maori pupils said that his mother would not permit Maori to be spoken, so keen were the family to absorb the ways of the pakeha. The teacher expressed the opinion that the language should be taught in the schools to pakeha and Maori alike, for a thorough knowledge of New Zealand history and geography alone required a knowledge of the Native tongue, especially in the meaning and pronunciation of place names. It is interesting to note that a number of classes in Maori have recently been formed in Wanganui, and are attended by Europeans desirous of learning more of the language. It is understood also, that members of a Wanganui club are to receive instruction in Maori. It would be strange indeed If the survival of the Maori language in the future had to depend on the white race.

Again the Railway Department is in readiness to help parents and children to have cheap trips by rail before winter reduces the urge to travel. The late autumn school holidays—a season which is frequently notable for an "Indian summer” character —provide the opportunity for a stimulating change from humdrum routine. Warm, cosy carriages add to the enjoyment of safe journeys by rail to a wide variety of pleasant places. ..