Tari mo nga Kura ki nga Poari, a, ka noho tonu te kura ki te iwi, ahakoa Maori, Pakeha ranei. Te taha whakaakoranga me ona ahua katoa tau tuturu tera ki nga tohunga o te Tari o nga Kura. Nga mana hou mo nga komiti o nga kura Maori. Mai rano he nui te wahi a nga komiti o nga kura Maori, i u pu ai ki te kimi moni mo nga hiahia o o ratau kura—hei whakapainga i te kura me ona tahataha, hei hoko mihini pikitia, hei hanga wahi kaukau me etehi atu whakaaro Tapiria mai hoki e te Kawanatanga tana moni, pera me nga moni a nga kura kei raro i nga poari. Ko te rereketanga nui o nga kura Maori ki o nga kura a nga Poari, ara, kaore he mana tuturu o nga komiti Maori, i te aroaro o te ture, ko te mana motuhake ko to te Mahita Tumuaki o te Kura. Kaore rawa he whai mananga o te komiti. He mea whakatau e te komiti o Noema i mahue ake nei, ki Poneke; “Me tu riterite nga kura Maori me nga kura Pakeha i nga mea katoa, tae atu ki te utunga o nga moni awhina mo ia tamaiti.” Kei te whiriwhiria tonutia tenei take, engari na te Minita i tautoko te putake. He mahi nui ina whakawhitiwhiti ki tera whakahaere. I raro i te whakaritenga hou, ka utua ki nga Kura Komiti Maori tekau hereni mo ia tamaiti kei te kura timatanga, i ia tau; e rua tekau ma rima hereni mo ia tamaiti kei te kura o runga ake. Ma nga tangata anake e noho ana i te takiwa o taua kura, e pooti puku i ia tau tuarua, te komiti mo te kura. Ko ratau tonu ano, nga komiti Maori tuatahi, e pooti pukutia i raro i te ture, a, i nga whakapaunga moni katoa, e utua atu ana ki a ratau, kei a ratau, te mana tuturu, i waho atu o nga whakaritenga a te ture. He wero pu tenei whakarite ritenga ki nga komiti, a, kei a ratau whakahaere pai i enei mana hou, te apiti nui ki pakaritanga o aua nohonohonga Maori. Nui atu te tumanako o te hui i Poneke, kia whiua e nga matua to ratau kaha katoa, ki te whakatupu i te matauranga. Hangai atu hoki tenei ki nga matua o a tatau tamariki Maori kei nga kura a nga poari, Katahi ka whakatau ano te komiti: “Kia kaha te whakahau i nga matua o a tatau tamariki Maori, kia hihiko ki te whakatere, i nga whakahaere mo te matauranga, kia tu hei mema mo nga komiti, o o ratau kura a-iwi, hei mema hoki i runga i nga poari.” Ahakoa me mama noa iho ki te Maori, tetehi wahanga nui tonu o nga whawha ki te toko i te matauranga, ina noa pea te wa, e kitea nuitia aite tu a te Maori, i runga i nga Poari nei. Na reira i whakatau ai te komiti i Poneke: “Kia ata whakaaroarotia e nga poari mo nga kura, te whakatu komiti whaiti mo ratau, kia ahei ai te whakatu atu i tetehi, i etehi mema Maori ranei. Ma enei komiti whaiti e arahi nga poari, i nga take katoa e pa ana ki te matauranga o nga tamariki o aua takiwa.” (Ko te mutunga kei tera putanga o Te Ao Hou) Mr Ball said it must be borne in mind that the change from Department to Board control was only an administrative change. The school, whether Board or Maori, still belonged to the people. What was taught in the school still came from the professional officers of the department. New Powers for Maori School Committees: School committees have played an important part in the Maori schools. They have faithfully raised money for countless school purposes—beautifying the school, buying projectors, building swimming baths and so forth. The money they raised has been subsidized by the government as is done for the European school committees. The great difference between the Maori school committees and those set up under the Education Boards has been that the Maori committees were never given statutory powers. By law, the headmaster of a Maori school is responsible to his department alone for the general management of the school. The school committee has no official standing. The committee that met in Wellington last November recommended ‘that school committees of Maori schools be placed on the same basis as school committees of Board schools in all respects, including the payments of capitation grants.’ This proposal is still under consideration, but it was accepted in principle by the Minister of Education. Committees will be elected every two years by a secret ballot of householders in the school committee district. They will, incidentally, be the first Maori statutory committees chosen by secret ballot and in the expenditure of moneys paid over to them they will have full authority, restricted only by the provisions of the law. The arrangement is a real challenge to the committees and good administration of these new powers would greatly add to the stature of the Maori communities concerned. The Wellington conference was very anxious to encourage Maori parents to take an active interest in education. This applies equally to those whose children go to Board schools. The committee recommended: ‘That every endeavour be made to ensure that more Maori parents take an interest in educational administration as members of school committees of public schools and as members of education boards.’ Although it should be easy for the Maori people to take a greater part in school committee work, it may take some time before full direct representation on Boards can come about. For that reason the Wellington committee also recommended ‘that education boards consider favourably the setting up of sub-committees of the boards to which one or more Maoris can be co-opted. These sub-committees would advise the boards on matters connected with the education of Maori children in their districts.’ (To be concluded in next issue)