TRAINING FARMERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 681, 5 June 1929, Page 15

TRAINING FARMERS

HIGH SCHOOL FOR MAORIS AND EUROPEANS movement at kaikohe A joint high school for both Maori and European children at Kaikohe is the aim of settlers of that district. There is a definite movement among Maoris in and around Kaikohe, the nost densely-populated native area in Ne w Zealand, to establish an agriuliural high school iu the district, be open to both Maori and Kuropjan children. Through a system of exchanges arough the Native Lands Consolidajon commission, Maori interests in widely scattered pieces of land have been consolidated into compact individualised areas of small holdings, and this has hastened the desire for agricultural instruction for the Maori -eiders, and for their children.

Therefore, the natives are asking that school discipline and industrial raining be secured for the young people. For the boys, instruction in agriculture, and for the girls, instruction in domestic science and certain branches of farm work, are the aims. The instruction would be practical and based on actual work carried out on the land attached to me high school. A hostel would be attached and the establishment would act as a training school for all Maoris of the yorth, scholarships being given in all the native schools. It is considered sufficient at preset if a day school be built with sufficient ground to give practical agricultural training, to be supplemented by visits to neighbouring farms. Sir Apirana Ngata has promised to visit the district and investigate. The European residents of the district have been agitating for the establishment of a high school at Kaikohe, to save the cost of sending their children to Whangarei or Auckland for secondary education. They desire also that some measure of agricultural training be included In the school. For that reason it is now proposed to combine the wo movements and ask for the establishment of a joint high school for both races. Last week a deputation waited on Mr. H. M. Rushworth, M.P., for the Ray of Islands, to secure his support. The Kev. W. M. Panapa put the case for the Maoris, and Mr. H. F. Guy, chairman of the school committee and chamber of Commerce, the scheme for a joint high school. Mr. Rushworth promised his support.