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Education begins at home. These two children from Papamoa Maori School (near Tauranga) are busy on a project describing their own village—the store, post office, dairy factory and so forth, and the people who work there. (Photograph J. Fijn)
A NEW APPROACH TO
THE MAORI CHILD
Much has been said and written lately concerning the status of Maori people in modern society. Maori leaders are constantly urging their people forward and the Department of Maori Affairs through its various branches and activities pursues its goal of economic and social equality with the European.
With his Polynesian ancestry welling up in him the Maori still doubts from time to time whether the goal is worthy of the effort he must put forth to reach it. However, the Maori has in fact already made his choice. For the last fifty years the Maori people have moved in from the periphery of European society in New Zealand to become an integral part of that society. They have left their ancestral homes for the city, and their communal life for the farm, the timber mill, transport, and public works.
The Department of Education has provided special facilities through its Maori Schools Service. The first Maori Village Schools were established in 1868. With the movement of Maori population already referred to these schools became inadequate and progressively less effective as a solution of the special problems of Maori education; indeed the Maori Schools Service is catering for only 13,000 Maori children of primary school age while over 20,000 are enrolled at public schools.
It was decided therefore that the time had come for a review of policy and towards the end of 1955 the Minister of Education called together a committee comprising Maori representatives from the districts and others representing teachers. Education Boards and the Department; seven of the thirteen people attending the conference were Maoris. This is important as being the first occasion on which the Maori people have had
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such an opportunity of expressing their views and shared in the making of policy at the highest level. The committee now known as the “National Committee on Maori Education” met a year later in 1956, and again in October 1957. At each of these meetings matters of importance to the future of Maori Education have been dealt with. In this article no more than an outline can be given of this “new look” in Maori education. Later articles in Te Ao Hou will give fuller detail of the more important developments.
THE FUTURE OF THE MAORI SERVICE
The committee discussed very fully the pros and cons of retaining the Maori Service Schools under the direct administration of the Department. It agreed that ultimately there should be one system of primary education under one form of administration, that of the Education Boards; it also expressed the view that some time would elapse before the Maori people would be ready for such a change and that full consultation with the Maori people themselves would precede any proposal for transfer of control. The Maori Schools were established to meet the special needs of Maori children; where those special needs no longer exist schools should become ordinary public schools. The strong traditional ties that bind many Maori school districts to Departmental administration are recognised.
OFFICER FOR MAORI EDUCATION
The Department and the Committee realised that something should be done to cater for the special needs of Maoris attending public schools. Indeed the education of Maori children sometimes becomes a really acute problem where there is a small minority group in a large school. It was therefore agreed that the Senior Inspector of Maori Schools sould also act as Officer for Maori Education in which capacity he would be responsible to the Director of Education for “the content and effectiveness of Maori education in both Maori and public schools”. Work in public schools would be done through liaison with District Senior Inspectors and with the assistance of Education Board sub committees on Maori education. Encouraging progress has been made in meeting the special needs of Maori children in a large number of public schools.
MAORI CULTURE
In terms of the Committee's recommendation the Officer for Maori Education is requested to “make every effort, using such means as school publications, in-service training, etc, to strengthen
Ideas about school education may change, but the core remains the daily work in the classroom. By and large, teaching is successful when the class is animated and can answer the teacher's questions, as in this secondary class at Ruatoki Maori District High School (Charles Hale Photograph)
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Many Maori schools teach dances, craft work and similar activities based on Maori tradition. Here is a canoe dance performed by children of the Mangamuka school (Hokianga) in 1953 (Photograph: John Ashton)
Many Maori schools are noted for the excellent art work they produce. This is true for Ngataki School in the far North where this photo was taken. At Ngataki, art work and other creative activities occupy a very important part of the syllabus. The supervisor of the Arts and Crafts branch of the Education Department, Mr Gordon Tovey, has been specially interested in this school and some others in the district (Te Hapua, Te Kao, Paparore, Oturu, Pukepoto and Oruaiti). Teachers' efforts have mainly been directed to increase the children's awareness, control, perseverance and social poise by providing them with more opportunities for creative work. (N.P.S. Photograph)
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the teaching of Maori history, legends, songs and art and crafts in all schools”. It suggested that “a knowledge of Maori culture is also necessary for the Pakeha child in order that he may more fully appreciate the history, achievements and intrinsic worth of the Maori”. Support was asked for the teaching of the Maori language.
In-service courses have been held and several, including two being arranged by the Teachers' Refresher Course Committee, are planned for the near future—one is on the teaching of Maori language. A small committee is preparing notes that will assist teachers in certain of the Maori crafts. The School Publications Branch is producing several bulletins to add to those already published on Maori history and Maori living.
COMMITTEES OF MAORI SCHOOLS
The National Committee recommended that committees of Maori Schools be given the same status and capitation grants as public school committees—the Department was fully in agreement with the proposal. Legislation has now been passed giving the Department authority to proceed with the definition of school districts and the election of new committees. It is only right that the Maori should carry his share of responsibilities in educational administration. Under the old regulations Maori school committees carried little real responsibility for the running of their schools. Officers of the Department will visit all isolated school districts to make new procedures and new responsibilities as clear as possible.
Other items of policy have been the subject of articles in these columns as for instance the special vocational guidance and placement needs of Maori children leaving school, and the Maori Scholarship system. Conditions are changing so rapidly that it is becoming apparent that further changes in the Scholarship system will be necessary and careful thought is being given to this matter at the present time.
This brief review is sufficient to show how fully Maori education is backing up endeavours to place the Maori people in a position of equality with their European countrymen. Indeed education is the foundation upon which all social and economic advance must be based. It is of course much more than this, for spiritual values enter into the whole fabric of education.
Maori education policy is designed to meet the future needs and aspirations of the Maori people. If it can do this successfully through several generations, the present pattern of racial goodwill will become cemented into a very real national brotherhood.
Kept in at lunch time. (Photograph: Charles Hale)
