THE EDUCATION OF MAORIS

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1928, Page 7

THE EDUCATION OF MAORIS

DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOLARSHIPS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hastings, Last Night. An important conference affecting the welfare of Maoris was held at Pakipaki last evening. Sir A. T. Ngata, MP., was present. Discussion took place on Maori scholarships, it being pointed out that the present allocation of scholarships to Maori students was not sufficiently distributed over the whole of the Maori population. It was proposed that in lieu of the present method the Education Department should be asked to allocate a stated number of Maori scholarships to defined areas under the Maori Land Board. This it was suggested would be a suitable way of distributing these scholarships so that every tribe would benefit equally. It was also decided to ask the Government that the scheme of household schools should be extended to Maoris as there were many districts where Maoris are living on their own individual lands away in the backblocks and too far from established schools.

A resolution was also passed conveying the thanks of the Maoris to the New Zealand University for the introduction of the Maori language as a pass subject for B.A. and B.Sc. degrees.