■. 1 * t ' TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1881. THE EDUCATION OF NATIVE CHILDREN.

Manawatu Herald, 26 July 1881, Page 2

■ . 1 * t ' TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1881. THE EDUCATION OF NATIVE CHILDREN.

*♦- , In another column we reprint Mr Ward's annual report on the Natives in his magisterial district. Although the report is a short one, it contains a clear and we believe accurrate statement of the. present condition of the Maoris along this coast. We are glad to see Mr Ward has directed attention to the important matter of edacation. He points out that while •itjiere are at least 200 JNative children 'ip' His 'district of school age, not more than a dozen attend " our schools." By the phrane " our schools " we uafarntal Mr Ward to mean tbe

State schools. We believe it is useless tO expect any considerable proportion of Native children to attend the English schools. The trouble and expense of keeping the children clean and tidily dressed is greater thau the parents of Native children care as a rule to undertake for any lengthened period ; besides which there is a feeling of isolation on tho part of a few Native children going amongst Europeans. If the only education placed within lvach of the Natives is thafc to he obtained afe fche State schools, we despair of any great improvement in the matter of attendance. We see no reason, however, why a really efficient system of Native schools should not be established along this Coast. Tho Natives evidently will nofc come to our schools, and we musb therefore endeavour to adapt ourselves to their ideas. We can afford to do so, considering the ast profits the Government makes out of laud purchased from them. We have not at hand the full report on fche Native schools of the colonly, but we find incorporated in the annual report of the Education Department just presented to Parliament a number of facts in connection with them which will prove interesting. During tho lasfc quurter of 1880 there was an average attendance of 1,277 children at the Native schools in the colony, while the average for the whole year was 1,240. There were 1,628 scholars on the roll afc the end of the year, compared with 1,366 at the beginning. The -1,623 on the roll are made upas follow : — 1.241 are Maori or between Maori and halfcaste ; 156 are half-caste ; and fche remaining 2*26 are either between half-caste andEuropean, or European. The ages of the children are as follow : — 99 under .5 years old, 828 between 5 aud 10, 581 between 10 and 15, and 115 above the age of 15. The average attendance during the lasfc quarter, compared with the roll number afc the end of fche year, showed the daily attendance as being at the rate of 78-7 per cent., as against 78' I per cent in the European schoo 's. The largest average attendance afc any school during the December quarter was 64 ; at fonr other schools it was above 40 epch, and at fifteen others it exceeded 25. The number of teachers at the end of the year (cxc u«ive of 49 sewing-mis-tresses) was 60, of whom 9 were assistant-mistresses, 3 pupil-teachers, and 48 teachers in full charge. The following paragraph will be read with interest : — In addition to the 1,623 pupils in village schools, there were maintained at the cost of the Government, in institutions where board and residence are provided, about 200 scholars, the numbers at the end of the year being 100 boys and 97 girls, or one boy and one girl less thau the average number for the year. By arrangements of which notice was given before the end of the yeat, the number for this year will be reduced by about 50; andthe term for which a child is admitted will be ordinarily limited to two years. The older boarders are being gradually removed, and their places supplied by boys and girls from the village schools who have passed the Fourth Standard of the Native Schools Code with credit. This amounts to the establishment of a simple scheme of scholai ships, which there is reason to believe will work satisfactorily, lt is intended to admit also a few children from districts that are without schools. The expenditure in connection with the Native Schools during last year was as follows : — Salaries, (1,240 in average attendance) £7 982 7s lld ; boarding schools (199 children), £3,728 6s lOd ; school requisites and contingencies, £ 1 ,224 6s 3d ; buildings and furniture, £1,908 19s 9d ; inspection, £877 7s ; office salaries and clerical assistance, £156 7s 4d ; apprenticeship and maintenance of sons of chiefs, £1070 12s 3d ; total, £16,898 7s 4d. After stating the above facts, which prove the existence of a fairly successful Native school system, we cannot help asking why have the claims of the Maoris on this coast to a_share. of the advantages to be derived frond it been so completely ignored ? If the scheme is a good one, and we are convinced it is, why should its benefits be confined to a few districts only, while the County of Manawatu, which has a population of about 1100 Natives, does not contain a single Native school. We believe the principle upon which the Government system is : based is that the Native children should be educated only in English. Hence, it is a rule that nofc a word of Maori is allowed to be spoken in the Native schools. At least that was the case in those on the West Coast of the South Island, where there are several Native schools. We think there is a grave error in this. There is not the slightest probability of a fusion of the races for generations to come, and we think it would be far better if this fact were recognised, and a sound Maori education given to the Native children, instead of spending a lot of money in teaching them a smattering of En glish which is almost entirely forgotten a few years after they have left school. If this principle were adopted, and the Maori language were employed as the medium of instruction of the Native children, the cost of the Native schools would be lessened, and their efficiency increased, as natives could then be employed as teachers. Wby should-they not be ? It is fouud thst Maori clergymen do the work of tho Churches fairly well; I Both the Ang ican and Wesleyan I Churches employ natives as minis, j ter*, and the latter body has a con.

siderahle number at this present time in course of training for the work of the ministry at the Wesleyan College, Three Kings, Auckland. "We see no reason why the samo plan should not be employed in connection with Native schools. Thanks to the influence of the mission schools, thore are now a very great number of Maoris who possess a fair education, and ib would not at all be difficult to obtain Native schoolmasters competont to instruct Maori children in the three H.'s. The cost of the native schools would thus bo reduced to a minimum, and their real efficiency would be increased. We might then hope to soe a Native school in every district, or at every village. Such a system, if properly carried out and subject to strict supervision, would, we are convinced, prove an incalculable blessing to the Natives.

Mutual Improvement. — A Saudon correspondent; writes : — The meetings of the Sandon Mutual Improvement Society were resumed on Monday last, with an addition of three new members. Tiie business comprised songs, dialogue?, kc, by Messrs Edwards, Smith, Scarrow, and Da f ter. Tho Society meets again on Monday, 2oth instant, when essays will be read as follows : — On Coal, by Messrs JR. and T. El--wards ; on Steam, by Messrs Smith and Daftor, The subscription to the Sooiety is only one shilling per quarter, and as Mr Smith has placed a comfortable room at tho disposal of tho members it is hoped the young men of Saudon will take advantage of these meetings as a source of pleasant and instructive recreation, Feilding Municipal Elections.— JMr Macarfchur ha 3 been elected Mayor of Feilding without opposition, a fact which we commend to the notice of the Rangitikei Advocate, as indicating the esteem in whioh Mr Macarfchur is held by the people amongst whom he dwells. There have been 18 persons nominated as members of the new Borough Council, as follows : — Messrs F. Lethbridge,^ L. Caldwell, T. Drummond, J. Whisker, H. Rutherford, ,H. Worsfold, D. Lowers, J. Thompson, F. Pope, W. Baker, W. Carfchew, J. Higgin, W. Arnotfc, W. Chamberlain, G. Lyne, P. Thompson, R. Loudon, Dr. Johnston, and Mr Macarthur. Of sonrae the last-named gentleman having been elected Mayor, will not go to the poll. The names that remain, however, comprise a large number of gentlemen well qualified for the office of Borough Councillors, and there is every reason to expect thafc the Feilding Council will be a credit alike to the town and the district. Amongst those mosfc fitted for the position are Messrs I. ewers, J. C. Thompson, Chamberlain, Higgin, Loudon, Lefchbridge, and Dr. Johnston, and we expect to see most of them members of the new Council. The candidates for the office >f Auditor are Messrs W. G. Haybittle, J. Beattie, and W. Jackson. The two former willprobably be elected. The voting for Councillors takes place next Thursday. Found. — Messrs Loudon, Haybittle & Co., in reference to the advertisement re lost tobacco, write to us: — "Our tobacco has been found in the bush, about half a chain from the Awahuri road, and aboufc 2£ miles from Feilding. Although supposed to be there four days, the wood of the box has not been wet, nor even the paper label. We have our tobacco back, and are saved paying the reward, as the thief has nob yefc beeu found out." Land. — We understand Mr Rocksfcrow has disposed of section 27, Avenue road, containing ab^ut 1 acre, for the sum of £210, the purchaser being Mr Mitchell, surveyor. Streets. — Workmen aro at present engaged improving the streets leading to the new Railway station. Tho work is being done very well, and whon the streets are metalled will greatly improve the appearance of that portion of the township. Jones' Line.— -This road, leading from the Sandon road into Campbelltown, is in very fair order at present, considering the season of the year, with the exception of about half a mile fronting Messrs Carter and Anderson's properties. Along this part of the road the bush has not been felled, and consequently the road is very wet and boggy. Mr Reid, of Campbelltown, informs us that on the whole the roads are better this season than any previous year. Inland Road. — Major Kemp is strongly in favour of both the inland road from Foxton to Otaki and the West Coast railway. He has a large interest in the South Manawatu country, especially in the Horowhenua district, and consequently his words have great weight with the natives. Ifc is understood thafc a number of the natives in the vicinity of Horowhenua are opposed to both road and railway intersecting their land. Two of the principal men accompanied Mr Hector M'Donald to Kemp's place a few weeks ago with the object of putting their views oefore him. Kemp, however, was very determined as to the matter in question, and gave strict injunctions that no obstacles were to be pufc in the way of either roads or railways, but that every facility was to be afforded for their construction. Political Matters. — The debate on Mr Ormond's amendment continued on Friday, and was adjourned until this day (Tuesday), when it will be continued. It is possible a division may take place on the question tonight, but it is not probable. Temperance Society. — We understand that Mr W. Price, who is a prominent member of the Good Tomplar Order at Wellington, when visiting Foxton on Saturday last, was waited upon by several teetotallt rs, and asked to give information as to the steps to be taken to form a Good Templar Lodge. Mr Price gavo the information asked for, and also leffc a blank charter to be filled up and forwarded on to Wellington. These lodges, when properly worked, are the moans of doing considerablo good, and the promoters therefore have our best wishes for the success of their attempt to found one. Delay. — The up coach did not reach Foxton until nearly nine o'clock on Saturday night. Ifc appears that a tree was found across the Ngahauranga line by Mr Shaw, the driver, and he succeeded in gettiug his leaders over it.. After tying them up, however, they escaped. Shaw then walked some distance up to the roadman's hut, and called him. He stated that a party of persons who were stopped by the same obstruction had called him about 1 a.m., but the fear of the stones rolling upon him from tho hillside had prevented him from starting to clear ifc away. Assistance having boon procured the tree was cut away sufficient to allow the coach to paas, and Shaw proceeded on the journey, but without the. lead ing horses, which he never saw again that day. Sudden Deaths. — We regret to record I two sudden deaths in the Otaki distriot. A half •CMte ohild named JB#v«n was taken

ill the latter end of last week, and after a few hours' illness succumbed, and was buried on Saturday. A nativo womau who attended the funeral weut home and went to bed as usual. Aboufc one o'clock on Sunday morning her child becoming restless, her husband attempted to rouao her to soothe it, and being unable to waken her shook her, wheu, finding she was cold, struck a light and found sho was dead. Auction' Sale. — An important aale of household furniture and ek'ects will take place tomorrow (Weduesday), at the residence of Mr A. Carmont, Otaki. The goods having bean aeizid under warrant, will ba auctioned without reserve. Mr Thynno will act as auctioneer. The articles to be sold aro advertised in this issue. Caution*.— Mr Francis London notifies that persons iudebted to his former estate must pay up at once, ho having purchased the book debts. Committed. — E. M. Symons has been committed for trial on a charge of forging and uttering. Accident.— Mr Thos. Barnett, of Oroua Bridge, met with a nasty accident on Saturday night. It appears that he went into a stable at Mr W. Simpson's to assist in catching a rather skittish horse, aud the rope having got twisted round one of his fingers it was cut off. He was brought into town, and his finger amputated by Dr Maclachlan. Mr Barnott is very unfortunate. Only the previous Saturday his shoulder was dislocated, and when he met with the accident last Saturday he already had one arm in a sling. Ho now has both his arms in slings. We are glad to hear he is doing well. Rowing Club. — A meeting of the Foxton Rowing Club will be held at Whyte's Hotel this evening, Bone Dust. —Ground bone is mosfc effective when ifc is very five. Coarse bone is slow in its effect because it dissolves slowly. It is better for corn and potatoes when made into superphosphate, and ifc is then very useful ; the potatoes grown by ifc are clean, smooth, and very thin-skinned. Barn manure is apt; to make scabby potatoes. Two hundred and fifty pounds per acre is a fair quantity to use wheu the soil is in good condition, but it will pay to use 000 pounds per acre when large crops are desired. It can be used by scattering it in fche hill or drill, well mixing it with the soil.