MAORI EDUCATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1940, Page 6

MAORI EDUCATION

FACILITIES IN WAIRARAPA WEST COAST NATIVES VISIT COLLEGE. FURTHER CONFERENCE LIKELY. Early in November a meeting was held in Otaki to consider matters relating to educational reserves administered by the Anglican Church, for the benefit of the Maori people. The meeting was convened by the West Coast tribes and was presided over by Mr Hone McMillan, representatives from the Wairarapa being present by invitation. Recent' legislation promoted by the church authorities giving power to sell reserves in the Wairarapa and at Porirua and Otaki, and to establish scholar-; ships for secondary education at schools attended by Maori pupils, outside of the districts in which the reserves were held had been opposed, and a committee of the Upper House refused permission for the Bill to proceed. The Otaki meeting carried resolutions in favour of using State colleges for secondary education, including industrial training, and recommended the establishment of hostels for Maori scholars in the vicinity of the colleges, the maintenance of these hostels being assisted through the funds from the reserves under discussion. It was thought that this combination would fulfil the original intention of the donors when the grants were made in 1853. A committee was set up to investigate the proposal and to confer with representatives of Wairarapa Maoris prior to discussion with the Anglican Trust Board. This committee, headed by Mr Hone McMillan and at the invitation of Mr W. R. Nicol, chairman of Wairarapa College Board, visited Wairarapa College on Saturday last and inspected the land, school buildings, hostel and equipment, being shown round by members of the Board and by Mr G. G. Hancox and Mr G. W. Morice. The visitors were very favourably impressed and expressed the view that the college represented a wonderful asset to the district, and made unnecessary the establishment of private schools for similar purposes. Later, the committee was introduced to the Hon. H. G. R. Mason, Minister of Education by Mr. J. Robertson, M.P., and members of the committee explained the purpose of their Visit and briefly outlined the present position of the Maori Trust. Mr. Mason expressed interest in their views and in reply ,to a question stated that Maori district high schools now under' consideration were not proposed in districts already adequately served, and remarked that their proposals appeared to be on good lines. It is expected that a conference with Wairarapa Maoris will be held early in the New Year, when more definite proposals will be formulated.