Teachers Could Do More

Te Ao Hou, September 1965, Page 14

Teachers Could Do More This problem can best be tackled in childhood, and I cannot stress enough the vital role of the teacher who, from my experience as one, can play a very large part in promoting better relations. Next to parents, teachers can wield the greatest influence over a child. In six hours a day children can soon come to reflect something of the way of thinking of the teacher. Many teachers conscientiously strive to teach their children to regard others as equals. But it seems to me that the majority of teachers either do nothing in this direction, or else not as much as they could. Why is this? Firstly, many teachers themselves are prejudiced, and are not going to teach something which they do not believe in; secondly, some teachers still entertain the romantic notion that ‘there is no colour bar in New Zealand’; thirdly, many teachers remain unaware of the potential dangers of bad race relationships. They think that all this does not affect them, or else they just couldn't care a damn if the problem existed or not—and thus the teaching of racial tolerance tends either to be ignored, or to receive only very isolated attention.