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Te Ao Hou, December 1966, Page 40

our New Zealand culture is being maintained to a very high degree. Many also must have received encouragement from the fact that in one school group nearly 50 per cent of the performers were Pakeha children. As Mr Richards, headmaster of the Apanui School, guest speaker of the evening, said in his opening address: ‘Our heritage of Polynesian lore is a rich one and one that we can not afford to neglect if we are to develop a truly New Zealand culture. Personally I feel that, for it to survive, it must be integrated into the over-all plan of our schools' curriculum and in my own school we endeavour to do this, both Maori and Pakeha children taking part in these truly New Zealand activities. However, for this to achieve the desired success requires interested and able teachers and a sympathetic public. I like to think we are progressing towards this.’ At the Apanui School which has a roll of 755 children, 35 per cent of whom are Maori, Maori cultural work is an integral part of the school's club activities. The club has equal numbers of Maori and Pakeha children, and all participate fully in the activities, which include Maori music, wood carving, flax weaving and decorative art.