NEWS FROM WAIRARIKI

Te Ao Hou, December 1961, Page 54

NEWS FROM WAIRARIKI Bursaries and endowments totalling about £1,400 will be available to pupils of the three Rotorua secondary schools next year. The money comes from part of the income from land in the commercial area of Rotorua gifted by Ngati Whakaue many years ago for secondary education. No school was ever built on the land donated by the tribe. The Ngati Whakaue appealed to the Hon. Mr Hanan last March to have the original purpose of the gift preserved and if the land could not be used for education, to see that the proceeds from it would be put towards that purpose. It has now been decided that the money should be administered by the Rotorua High Schools Board of Governors. Most of it will go to building projects and providing extra amenities for the schools, but an appreciable amount will be distributed in bursaries which can be applied for by parents of pupils of any of the secondary schools at Rotorua. One type of grant, to be known as the ‘Ngati Whakaue Endowment Bursary’, will be disbursed by the principal of each of the three schools to meet special needs of Maori scholars. Apart from these special Maori grants (probably about £85 each), a number of other grants are available to Maoris and Europeans on the same terms. These include grants to sixth formers who suffer hardship or want to pursue special courses outside Rotorua, bursaries for talented pupils proceeding to universities or other institutions of higher learning, substantial prizes for apprentices and study grants to college staff and old pupils. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ Vigorous Maori clubs have recently sprung up at Taupo and Opotiki. At both, the main activities are hakas and action songs. At Taupo, some performances have already been held at fund-raising functions. At Taupo the president is Mr G. Rameka, secretary Mr T. Hoskings; at Opotiki the president is Mr W. O. Taki and the secretary Mrs J. Walker. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ The Whakatane County Council has done a considerable service to the Maori people of its district by deciding to allow the subdivision of Maori land in the vicinity of Whakatane. The housing position of the Maori people there is distressing and the Department of Maori Affairs is now able to proceed with a major rehousing programme. Although the Maori Land Court has power to make any partition orders it chooses, it cannot of course issue building permits and so the partitions are of no practical use unless the County allows the owners to build. Therefore agreement between Court and County is essential. It must sometimes be difficult for the County to choose between its County Plan (which is very important for the development of the district) and progress in Maori housing. The Whakatane gesture has been popular with the Maori public.