MAORI EDUCATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 April 1938, Page 8

MAORI EDUCATION

(To the Editor.) Sir,— In the past few months several meetings have been held of the tribal Maori representatives in the Wairarapa and three combined meetings with the Hikurangi College Board of Trustees, one at Papawai, one at Te Ore Ore, and one in Wellington on the following questions: —(1) To support’the school at Otaki by sending boys there as, t paying pupils out of funds held by the Board of Trustees; (2) Making an amount available out of funds for improvements to the school, and other arrangements.

In the good old days endowments were the order of the day made by our forefathers, and perhaps a brief outline would be of interest. In the early eighties blocks of land in the Greytown and Masterton districts were handed over to the then Bishop of the Church of England and co-trus-tees, to be held in trust for the purpose of erecting a church or school for the donors and beneficiaries after them. In later years the Trustees established a college at Hikurangi (since burnt down). This was used solely for boys, no provision being made for girl pupils. This anomaly was strongly stressed at a meeting held at Te Ore Ore Pa this year and at subsequent Maori representative meetings prior to the last meeting with the representatives of the Board of Trustees. At the latter meeting, which was held in Wellington on April 6, 1938, a signed statement was drawn up with about 200 signatures outlining the opinion of Maoris in the Wairarapa: (1) That we object to any monies being spent on improvements to Otaki School; (2) We think that if any school or college should be supported wo should support our own Wairarapa College, the whole of the expenses to be paid out of funds held by -the Trustees: (3) By sending our children to the local college both girls and boys would be catered for and provision made for a ■higher standard of education, which, perhaps, would be the preliminary means of fitting scholars for university education, thus obtaining full benefit for the money spent, which would not be the case if the children went to the present Otaki School. Further, it would be most, advantageous if means were made available to outstanding scholars for a University education. We, in going deeply into the matters of payment in respect of pupils of the future, think the strain would be so great on the finances held by the Trustees that all available monies should be kept solely for the upkeep of the college and probably university education payments for the Wairarapa Maori scholars. From the reports made by Mx - Tahana, one of our delegates to the meeting at Wellington, and by subsequent speeches made by some of the authorities in charge and by a prominent member of the Ngati Raukawa tribe, Mi’ Tahiwi, misapprehension was prevalent among some of our delegates, and by their negotiations regarding suggestions other than those pointed out in the signed statement, which was not recognised by the Trustees, we feel at a loss for being consulted in the matter at all. It was also evident that cut and dried tactics were the order. Later reports were made by Messrs R. Tamatea and P. Paku that provision was made fox - appointing a Maori representative on the Board of Trustees. We again feel at a loss fox- this suggestion. Is it a move towards the closing of free democratic feeling or is it a move to lull the Maori feeling to sleep. In either case we at least have some consolation in not committing ourselves at present. The suggestion was left over for further consideration at a latex’ date. I am, etc, FAIR PLAY.