Maori Education

Te Ao Hou, March 1969, Page 9

Maori Education This is not a preamble on Maori Education. It is, however, a story of success in this field of endeavour — singular, spectacular success through diligence and conscientious effort. David is a Maori boy of Arawa descent. In his early years at school, he showed unusual scholastic potential. This talent matured at secondary school, where his reports told of exceptional ability, so that he was able, in his third year, to take his place with his Pakeha counterparts in the 1968 School Certificate examination. I say Pakeha counterparts, because third-year candidates are, in the main, Pakeha. David did not disappoint, as these results will testify:— 1. Maths 96, 2. English 86, 3. Geography 84, 4. French 79, 5. General Science 76. A close look at these results will place David in the very top group of passes for New Zealand, a place usually the privilege of the few — the Pakeha. A closer look will tell us that the last three would have been sufficient to satisfy the pass requirements for School Certificate. Very few Maori students, indeed Pakeha students, can emulate this performance. To reach this elevated plateau, David applied himself diligently to the task ahead, resisting all those temptations to which so many of our Maori youngsters yield. This is the message this story would wish to convey to all its readers; “Success is the end-result of diligence, endeavour and perseverance”. David applied all three, and, in achieving, fulfilled the hopes of his ancestors expressed in this little gem of Maori wisdom:— “Whāia ko te iti kahurangi; ki te tuohu koe, me maunga teitei”. “Seek the little treasures of life; should you have cause to bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain”.