MAORI EDUCATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 255, 18 January 1928, Page 13

MAORI EDUCATION

WHAT IS ITS AIM? NATIVE TEACHERS IN CONFERENCE What comes of the Maori boy after attending the native primary schooi? Mr. W. N. Cough lan, president of the Native School Teachers’ Association, who met in confer, ence in Auckland, answered this question. The general tendency was for the Maori scholar to return to the pa and apply his education entirely for his own interests. He did not utilise it for benefit of the pa in particular, and for the good of his race in general. “It was never the intention of the department that such a selfish aim should be pursued,” he remarked. WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE? Mr. Coughlan said the question confronting these teachers to-day was: How much had our educational policy been responsible for the present-day selfishness and unrest. The president paid tribute to the services of Mrs. Stanton. Te Kuiti. Mr. G. W. Broderick, Te Teko, and Mr. Michael Downey, Te Araroa, native teachers, who had died since the last conference. DOCTORS TO ATTEND The director of education, Mr. T. B. Strong, advised that he had arranged that Dr. Ada Paterson should also attend, in? addition to Dr. Ellison, Director of Maori Hygiene, as the department believed that both officers could gain much valuable information from delegates bearing on the health of the native school-cUl-dren. Dr. Ellison and Dr. Ada Paterson will meet the delegates and afterwards address them #t to-morrow morning’s session. THE SAME SYLLABUS There are 143 primary schools for Maori pupils in the Dominion, in addition to a number of secondary schools. The teachers number from between 2SO and 300. The total number of Maori children taught In the primary schools approximates 6,000. In addition there are at least 5,000 Maori scholars at the European schools. The syllabus in the native primary Schools is the same as that at the pakeha schools; it ranges from the primary classes to the proficiency certificate. (Proceeding)