MAORI PROVES TRUE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 88, Issue 96, 24 April 1944, Page 4

MAORI PROVES TRUE

RECORD IN EDUCATION AWARDS WOITON THE HELL OF BATTLE The noted progress made by members of the Maori race in recent years in higher courses of education was mentioned by th e Bishop of Aotearoa. Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett, at Christ Church, yesterday morning. The Bishop also spok of the record of the Maori Battalion in battle. He said that, in 1939, the number of Maori students at training colleges was only three. That number had grown to 35. Among those who had graduated from the University, three had the Master of Arts degree, four the Bachelor of Laws, four the Bachelor of Science, one was a Master of science and four were Bachelors of Arts.

In addition, five Maoris were fully qualified Doctors of Medicine—Drs. N. Ellison (Raratonga), L. Broughton (Hastings Memorial Hospital), Wirepa (East Coast), G. Maaka (North Auckland), and H. Bennett, who is a son of the bishop (Napier Hospital). Both boys’ and girls’ colleges for Maoris were fully taxed, with students applying their talents for higher learning. On th e field of battle the Maori had also done remarkably well. The record of the Maori Battalion included one Victoria Cross, four Distinguished Service Orders, one Order of the British Empire, one Member of the British Empire, seven Military Crosses, two with a bar each, six Distinguished Conduct Medals and 30 Military Medals.

This record proved that the Maoris had not. failed the efforts of those who had taught their forefathers in the Christian faith, a century ago. The Bishop, speaking for the encouragement of higher education for the Maori people, said that it would be a nice gesture if a Christ Church Scholarship for the education of a Maori student at. the Wanganui Collegiate School could be established. He commended the thought tc parishioners.