towards declining, not because of the shortage of staff members, or financial difficulties, but because of the growth of state schools throughout the country. This year, the total school roll is around about 83, and there are five excellent teachers, and the principal. There is a new swimming pool, and beside this we have for sports and recreation purposes, three tennis courts, two recreation rooms, a sports field, and various other sporting equipment. Last year the college's School Certificate and University Entrance results were not very good. However, the aim of teaching pupils is not merely to pass exams and various other tests, but to cultivate the nature of the child, to become a good member of the society of mankind. Gina Tekulu, Lower VI, Solomon Islands In recent issues we have published many poems written by pupils of Northland College, and are pleased that this has stimulated further interest in literature. Recently, two pupils, Hemi Epiha and Takiora Neho (pictured below) were chosen to record their own and their fellow-pupils' poems at the N.Z.B.C.'s Whangarei studio, for a nation-wide ‘Poetry’ programme. We print now short autobiographies by Taki and Hemi.

My Life Story My name is Takiora Neho. I belong to the Ngapuhi tribe. I am a fourth form pupil of Northland College which is in Kaikohe, and I am 15 years old. My home district is situated out in the country and is called Waima. I live on a farm and milk cows but mostly I am at home doing the housework and cooking. I do a lot of horse-riding around the farm and especially enjoy riding to the shop and post office, which is about 1 ½ miles away from home. Quite often there is a hui or a 21st birthday or a wedding going to be held. There is a lot of preparation to be done and all the people around join to work at the Marae. This I enjoy doing, and I can't wait for the main day. My favourite hobbies are sewing, dancing, cooking, athletics, basketball, and gymnastics. It was one day this year that Mr Mitchell who takes my class for English, explained to us that he was going to have a literature programme on the radio. Also, the best poems our class wrote were going to be included in this. Therefore he was going to ask one of us to go to Whangarei with him to read these. This happened to be me. I was really excited and I looked forward to it. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ I am a Maori boy of about 15 years old, getting to the stage where I should be able to look after myself. I was born on 26 February, 1953, and soon after, when I was only a couple of weeks old, I was adopted by a couple named Piripi Karena. They were both very old and died three years later. Then I was adopted by another couple named Pere, and since 1955 I have been staying with them. I went to Te Tii Maori School for ten whole years. I enjoyed being just an infant child. Soon I was ready to go to college. I got money from the Maori Trustees to pay for my boarding at the hostel. I became interested in poems when I was in the third form, and I found out how important poetry was. I enjoyed the company of a teacher without whom I think my poems would be of no use. Through him I found the knowledge to write poems.