NATIVE SCHOOLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 12

NATIVE SCHOOLS.

(Faoir Oub Owir Corrbskktomit.) AUCKLAND, January 29.

In tho course of a special article on the Native school system a writer in the Herald aays, inter alia: "As a rule, tho department appoints only married teachera, it being generally recognised as an integral part of the teacher's duty to act as father and mother to the Maoris of the district, setting them a pattern and assisting generally in the improvement of th© race. The Health Department generally avails itself of the presence of the teachers to assist in looking after the general sanitation of the pahs, and many of the teachers, by the use of simple remedies, have acquired quite a reputation as healers of the sick. Naturally the teacher and the Native, tohunga are not on amicable terms, but the teacher generally ecores in the end. In one district there was an outbreak of typhoid. The local tohunga .had several cases handed to ffim for treatment, and he lost the Jot, while the European teacher, with over 50 patients, put them all in. tents on the beach, and only lost thrie cases. In that district now the tohunga loot his practise.

"'Ths public,' says one of the department's inspectors, ' has no idea of the amount of good work done- by our teachers in this direction, and frequently statements are made reflecting on the teachers. The best answer to these is a resolution passed by the Young Maori party, the Te Aute College Association, the people who ought to know if anyone does, expressing the highest appreciation of the work of the Native school teachers in this connection. The Maori children are found, as a general rule, to be very easily managed, and readily take up tuition in matters of cleanliness.' 'An unfailing indication of the moral tone of a school,' cays one of the department's offioers, 'is the writing on walls or outbuildings, and Native echools are probably without exception free from anything of this sort. I wish I could 6ay the same of European schools. Unfortunately the moral tone prevailing amongst sawmill and flaxjmll hands in the neighbourhood of pahs is not very high, and it is a matter for unutteiable regret that these men, and very frequently tourists and others who ought to know better, tempt young Maori girls.' There eeems to be no diffioulty in getting: children to attend school, though there is no special inducement held out. In one school in 1906 the average attendance for the year was 99.5.. Frequently the children came very long distances, in all weathers and over bad roads. In the case of one northern school, statistics covering a period of three years showed that on an average each child walked six miles each way every day, and some of them nine miles each way. Cases have not been wanting where Maori children have had to swim flooded streams, the elder ones pulling the younger across rather than stay await from school. The adult Maorie, too, take a keen interest in the sohool work, and render much assistance with money and labour. One Bast Coast settlement last year collected £200 for the erection of a school. ' How many Euiopean eettlements would do that? ' asks the department. Children, too. are lodged with the relatives perhaps 100 miles away to enable them to attend school. 'We are getting rid of the tohunga and the Te Kooti influenoe,' reports the department, ' not by teaching against them, but through our teachers letting the Maoris see for themselves, and the Maori is very quick in that way nowadays.'

" What are the results of the system? It may be said that the children after 'being educated go back to the ways of their fathers, but if the parents of tho European children were semi-civilised, and no opportunity for following up Oie education were afforded, white children would 'do precisely the same. Fifty years in the history of a race is, after all, but a short ■period, and people who look for the highest results from the education of the Maori children are bound to be disappointed. It is only by perseverance that th© results brought about will bear fruit. The next generation will show the advantage of educating the present generation oi Maoris. After leaving school the Maori boy or girl finds the way beset with great difficulties. The walks in life open to them afe very limited, for again the old prejudices against the Maori unconsciously come in/ Undoubtedly tjie tmnff that will do the greatest good in this direction 16 the opening up of the Native lands and tho establishing of a purely agricultural college for Maoris.

"'" ' It is want of opportunity,' says the department, ' far more than want of adaptability or ability.' Last year there were more Native children attending Native

schools than ever before, and on every hand the Maoris are recognising and. appreciating more and more the benefits of education.

" Maori committees are very enthusiastic. Sometimes they make such resolutions: ' Only English to be epoken in the playground.' There is no capitation paid, and the Maorie themselves provide firewood, and the children undertake the schoolcleaning. At some schools the youngsters take keen pride in, keeping the aohools clean. One school in use for 20 years has not & mark or etain on either the desks or floors, and at another the youngsters not only scrub the inside of the building but the outeide- as well. School gardens have been established wherever possible for the purpose of teaching agriculture and horticulture, and the results have been eminently satisfactory. But in all cases the lack of subsequent opportunity is deplored, and it is recognised that, to enable th© Native schools to do their best work and show the best results, opportunities, such as tho opening ud of Native land on somesensible individual system would afford, must be provided. The department is satisfied that New Zealand's efforts towards the civilising and educating of it 3 Native people are on the best lines, and are bearing splendid fruit ; but, given proper opDortunity for the _ following-uD of tKis education, it is manifest that the results achieved would be immeasurably greater."