THE OTAKI SCHOOL.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 103, 5 October 1878, Page 2

THE OTAKI SCHOOL.

TO THB BDITOB. Siß, — I have lately seen m your oolumn* some letters, written by a person- •tyled: " Otaki Correspondent," which make several statements concerning 'the Native School* and College. Those statement* are* m, every case, quite incorrect.^ , TJnless :yourcorrespondent really believes what he writes, I mast say that he is possessed of a great deal of brnvaddTor he would take greater* pains to keep within -the truth. For although I hare carefully gone through alt the school rolls as far back as 1869 • (ex? cepting those for 1874 and 1875, and tha latter part of 187.3, which mre missing), I can discover nothing to warrant his assertions. In his last issue he.takes to task • correspondent, signing himself "Yiridex," who endeavours to enlighten him a little better on the subject, but with a result characteristic of those who from prejudice do their best to damage what raises their dislike, viz., a stupid repetition of thejfr former errors, and the utterance of •till grosser nonsense. He. particularly seizes upon the lowest average of a. list which. " Vindex" gave him to consider, and fairly gloats over it. He epomt rery anxiont to, make a point against" Vindex" by imply-. ing, if not asserting, that this lowest average includes Europeans as well as Maori*, but he has failed to do 80, by speaking from insufficient evidence. I will now— -for 4i# benefit, and that of those who peruse hit, letter and ere liable to be led away by hi» positiveness — give the real and trui account of that average, the lownesa of which shock*, him so much, and also a few other figure* which will perhaps convince him that although (as is not .denied), the school -is. poorly attended at present, yefc, even noirit wills bear comparison with, and is not much worse than it was one or two year* ago. The week when the daily average was 41, was m February last, ana the bad, attendance was caused by a tangi held just then, so the wonder is that any children came at all. Yet there were forty- five- total attendances for the ten half-day*. Of these forty-five, ten were made by two Eii-. ropean children, one of whom atteodedoighfc times, tire other, twice. So that there ar* thirty-five attendan n es to go to the credit of the Maoris, giving a pure Maori averfl«»* of 3| per day. So he ha« not yet sacceed<4 m proving the attendance of "only a single Maori cJiild" and never' will white I am able.topreventit.. r The foUowing.is a list showing the nnm- _' ber of. Mnori and -European children; (not; incjltiwye of half-paste?) on the books for the last (en years (exclusive of those yearr I mentibned 'before) :— 1869--Ms»ori3, 51 1 x Europeans,; 0. 137Q-— Mnoris, 61 j Eurpr peans*2! 1871— -Maoris, 65 ; Europeans, 4. IS^^Mfioris, 43 ; Europevn?, 3. Maoris, 32^ Eujopeaus, 2. :;JS?i and: iS75^J^

1876— Maoris, 37 ; Europeans, 11. 1877— Maoris, 65 $ Europeans, 7. 1878 — Maoris, 87 1 Europeans, 6. Of course these figures prove that the school is not so well attended as it U3ed to be, but they also show that it is liable to considerable fluctuations. There are good reasons for both these facts — (1) the children are not now under control, as they •were when they were boarded m the College ; (2) the parents have lost that zeal for education which they possessed so strongly at one time, and do hot really care whether the children come to school or not > (3) the children are entirely their own masters, aud pleuse themselves, about coming to school. Taking these facts into consideration, I ask your "Otati Correspondent " to produce even as good results as our books show, with a number of European children placed m the same cironmstanrea. I have had pome experience of bolty and I aoa sure the Maoris are decidedly the most regular, and anchious to learn, of the two. There is ©ne more statement he makes which is open to doubt. He says the College is " empty." Does he generally consider a house " empty " vrhen there is somo one living mit ? Surely the repeated contradiction he receives will make him more careful m the future. It must certainly lead your readers to doubt his veracity, and suitability to represent Otaki m your columns. * . Apologising for my lengthy trespass on yoor space— l am, &c., Gt. H. Christib (Master of the Native School). The College, '■ . Otaki, October Ist, 1878.