Page 9 - 1972 News Clippings

MAORI CLASSES FAIL

TO WIN SUPPORT

NZ Herald Maori,” said Mr Allison.
“I think local Maoris prefer not to When the subject was offered as an
have Maori in the school, day or night,” option to pupils two Pakehas chose to take it
said the principal of Ngaruawahia High to every Maori.
School, Mr E. B. Allison, in an interview. The teacher concerned had since left.
He described the lack of Maori Three efforts to start Maori language
language teaching at his school as “very night classes all failed within a few weeks
sad.” through lack of support.
The Ngaruawahia High School roll is Mr Allison said he had been told by a
30.2 percent Maori. Mr Allison told of local Maori elder: “A little jam on a small
advertising 14 times in recent years for a piece of bread is good but put that amount
teacher of Maori and of receiving only one on a big piece and you can’t taste it at all.
applicant. We don’t want our Maoritanga spread too
The applicant was appointed but “local thinly or it will lose its flavour.”
Maoris didn’t seem to accept his sort of

Warnings of ‘sorry

end’ recalled

Warnings of a sorry “I recall, too, the
end for Ngaruawahia curious experience of a
High School were girl and her brother who
recalled last night by its were third-formers at
principal, Mr E. B. another school. The girl
Allison, at the school’s who was pretty bright
10th prizegiving was warned against
ceremony. “changing horses in mid-
“It’s amusing to look stream” while her
back now and recall that brother, who at that stage
parents were warned at was a little slow, was
the end of 1962 by the assured that a new deal in
principal of one school a new school was
that Ngaruawahia precisely what he needed.
College would inevitably “Both came here,
be a school for developed into delightful
delinquents,” he said. school personalities and
“This shows how succeeded in everything
much notice we parents they undertook,” Mr
ought to take of Allison recalled.
principals.