Importance of Stimulating Literature

Te Ao Hou, November 1964, Page 51

Importance of Stimulating Literature Basically, there are two reasons for this retardation. To some extent it is due to Maori parents' starting their children's school careers later than do Pakehas. The other reason, a far more important one, is that Maori homes seldom contain much which is intellectually stimulating. In particular, most families possess little suitable literature through which the Maori child can broaden his general education to the extent that Pakeha children do. The Foundation, in co-operation with library services, is taking positive steps to assist in reaching more Maori homes with more and better literature. As a consequence of our inadequate education, the percentage of Maoris who are engaged in unskilled or semi-skilled work is far too large, and the percentage engaged in professional or ‘white-collar’ work is very much too small. This position is tending to create a degrading and unjust stereotype of Maoris in the eyes of many Pakehas.