SCHOOL FOR MAORI GIRLS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16451, 19 February 1919, Page 7

SCHOOL FOR MAORI GIRLS.

« TO TUB EDITOR OF "THB PBZSS." Sir, —In speaking to the parents and girls of Miss Sanders's school at the annual prize-giving yesterday, I am reported in the "Women's Cornor" of "The Press" to have stated that "there are few better things in life for girls than entering for public examinations." What 1 did say was, that "there were highor idoals of education for a girl (and, as a matter of fact, for a boy also) than Cramming for publio examinations." The ideal of co-oper-ation' was greater than that of competion, and the training and development of character for sorvice was, perhaps, the highest ideal of all. In seeking to interest the girls in the education of their Maori sisters I referred to the serious financial position of a secondary school for Maori girls in Auckland, which was established as a provincial memorial to the late Quoen Victoria. Tho school was built on the strength of the following resolution, passed at the General Synod, held in Napier in 1901:—"This Synod has heard with warm approval of the movement on foot to establish the Queen Victoria School for Maori girls in Auckland as a permanent memorial to our late beloved Quoon, and commends the effort to the sympathy of the Church people in tho province." The school was duly built by voluntary contributions from all parts of the Dominion, and tho foundation stone was laid by our present King. The Government undertook to send twentyfive scholars to the school, and agreed to pay £20 per annum for each scholar. An association, called the Queen Victoria Association, was formed in order to raise funds to provide scholarships for poor Maori girls, and the moie well-to-do Maoris were expec tod to pay the fees for the education of their children. Tho school has dono excellent work, and at the present time is educating about sixty girls, but the high cost of living has brought the school into such •financial difficulties that the Trust Board of tho Diocese of Auckland reluctantly decided to close it. I have", however, obtained the sanction of the Trust Board to keep it open for another term, in order that I might make the position known, and, if possible, save the school. The Government has now undertaken to pay £30 per annum instead of £20 for each Government scholar at tho school. Tho Maoris themselves contributed £100 more last year than in any previous year, and will certainly increase their contributions. The trouble has arisen because the school has been regarded as a Diocesan, and not a Provincial, one, and its upkeep and support left almost entirely to Auckland, and I now appeal to the province to keep its own school in its hour of need, and save it from becoming a triumph for the Hun. I want £1000 to save the school, and with the £1000, which I trust will be raised in Auckland, I hope to avert the disgrace of having to close _ a school, the foundation-stone of which wns laid by our present King n9 a permanent memorial to our beloved Queen Victoria. I venture to make this explanation of mv remarks, because I specially emphasised the point that the institution was provincial, and not diocesan.— Yours, etc., , . A. W. AUCKLAND.