Maoris and Technical Education by Noel Harrison Head of General Studies Department Wellington Polytechnic This is the first of four articles about the new polytechnics and the opportunities they offer to young Maoris in search of training. The number of students being taught in polytechnics (technical institutes) has National Publicity Studios photographs One of the new Technical Institutes at Auckland risen rapidly in the last few years. Yet very few Maoris are to be found in these new institutes except in a few special areas where training schemes have been arranged with the Department of Maori and Island Affairs. There's nothing strange about this absence of Maori students. Most people don't even know what polytechnics are. This is understandable also because they're still very new, less than ten years old. They're to be found in the four main centres only, and Hamilton since last year. City people have a better chance of knowing something about them but people living in the country may never hear much about them. And because most Maoris either live in rural areas or are newly arrived in the cities the name ‘polytechnic’ often doesn't mean much. And just exactly what are they? Polytechnics are places where people of all ages can learn skills which will help them to get or hold a job by which they can earn a living. They are educational institutions run by the Government where people can be trained for an occupation. The training given covers a wide range. There are trade courses for apprentices in