Maoris Flock To Colleges Established By Church

Chronicle (Levin), 22 August 1949, Page 4

Maoris Flock To Colleges Established By Church

"What we have come through in about a thousand years the Maori people have had to hurry throtigh In about .a hundred years," saad Rev. A. Salmond in St, Andreyc's Presbyterian Church, Levin, yesterday. He was dealing with Maori mlssion work of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. "The adjustment of a people so that they can survive arid incfease In an entirely new civilisation is a severe process/ Many peoples have failed to suTvive it, but the Maori people have survived it. "The two most significant things tn Maori Iife today are the movements towards ^econdary.^ education of -Maori youth and • the increaSe of Maori communities ifi the cities" and secondary tdwiis," conlinued Mr. Salmond. Maori Colleges Popular. The situation in the speciah Maori colleges, both for boys and for girls, is' such now that they cannot adequately cope with the applications coming forward each year. Turakina Maori Girls' College at Marton served phd maintained by the Presbyterian Church Is in that position. "Young Maoris have had to turn to the seeondary schools other than their own special schools aftd the Church has sought to provide Christian hostels in such places as Whakatane and Auckland to give a stable base in which and against which the fulk benefits of education can be obtained." Education without Christian character could be a disturbing and evil factor in interraeial relations, added Mr. Salmond. The hostels of the Churchsiwere; elementS o| ^hbiC' ministry to-the IMafoW people^ in a time of quick changes. About ond^ sixteenth of the total Maori population was now congregated i-h Auckland. The war had swept many Maoris intq the cities and they were remainmg there. Problem Facing Church. Accustomed to communal ways where the pa was the centre of life and tribal custom, the Maoit in the city found himself in a new and dangerous situation. The Church saw the problem, but was at a loss to meet it because. in many communities the membership of the congregations was not fully representative of the whole com^ munity. Maoris and pakehas played footban and saw the Same Americatt movies together, but they did not worship and-work together in the serviee of Christ to any great extent. A section of any communiiy onat failed to touch the life of the community at its deeper as well as ts shallower levels was in danger of failing to find fulness of life it,elf and of disrupting that unity which a healthy community must achieve . ' - ' ynristian faith and its expreS* sion in the worship of the Christian Church did provide a common standing. gronnd for all* races and conditions of men, concluded the preacher. ^ .