WHARE WANANGA AT WAIWHETU School goes to the Community Education went to the community in Wai-whetu last August, when more than 100 teachers, parents, students and administrators met for three days at Arohanui-ki-te-tangata Meeting House. Among those present were Mr H. Holst, Officer for Maori Education, Mr N. Vickridge, Principal of Te Aute College, Rev. Fr N. Delaney, Rector of Hato Paora College, Mr T. R. Hawthorn of Kaitaia, Mr T. Royal, Assistant Officer for Maori Education, Mr K. Dewes, Lecturer in Maori Studies at Victoria University, Mr W. Parker, well-known broadcaster and lecturer in the Adult Education Extension of Victoria University, Mr D. Selwyn, Headmaster at Seatoun School, Canon H. Taepa, Fr P. N. Kinsella, Rev. T. Tioke, Dr Joan Metge, Senior lecturer in Anthropology at Victoria University, Mr H. V. George, Director of the English Language Institute at Victoria University, Mr D. Ball, Director of the Maori Education Foundation, Miss K. Kaa, Mrs E. Hetet, Mrs A. Bosch and many others with a special interest in Maori education. This seminar on Maori education was organised by the Polynesian Studies section of Wellington Teachers' College under their lecturer, Mr B. Mitcalfe, and was made possible through the generosity of Mr I. P. Puketapu and the committee of Arohanui-ki-te-tangata. In charge of the kitchen was Mrs P. Tukukino of Upper Hutt, so the whole affair was very much a community venture. Discussion covered a wide range of topics, from the past, where the picture was grim compared with today's efforts, according to Mr Holst. Even in the 1930s, only one out of ten Maori children might expect to pass through the Fourth Form. Only one or two a year might expect to gain a degree. Now the number of Maori university degrees from Auckland University since the war exceeds the total number of degrees won by Maoris from all universities in all the vears prior to 1945. ‘In short, although the seminar is concerned about ways in which Maori education services can be bettered, the overall picture is one of continuing improvement,’ said Mr Holst. In a later panel, Mr George, Director of the English Language Institute, asked why Maori children conformed or were expected to conform to some of the values of the dominant Pakeha society. ‘I am surprised that so many “go through the hoops” of School Certificate, University Entrance and so on.’ ‘The schools must change to reflect Maori values and desires, if they are fully to serve the Maori community’, said Mr Koro Dewes. ‘Maori language and Maori studies are an essential part of culture for a large minority in New Zealand, a minority whose culture has been largely overlooked, indeed trampled under, by the dominant Pakeha culture. But it is still not too late for the schools to change to give the Maori culture some of the recognition it deserves,’ he said. Conference adopted unanimously a remit that would make the teaching of New Zealand sociology, with emphasis on the Maori, compulsory at all teachers' colleges. It advocated the teaching of Maori in all schools where there were significant minorities of Maoris, and the improvement of the topics to be better handled by teachers. New school texts would need to be written in topics ranging from New Zealand race relations to the origin and coming of the Maori. Mr T. R. Hawthorn, formerly principal of Kaitaia College, said that the secondary school should go to the marae. where parents and college principals could discuss, in a free and open way, the education of Maori children. Mr Hawthorn outlined she way in which unemployment had affected a disproportionate number of young Maoris. ‘Similarly, the courts step in where the schools fail. One out of every three Maori youths at age 21 can expect to have had a court appearance. This figure is a reflection on our society and our schools' failure with Maoris,’ said Mr Hawthorn. A background paper on Maori unemploy-