Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 27, No. 13. 1964.
Maori Schools
Maori Schools
The severe criticism of these schools because of the "discriminatory" nature was unjustified.
A "Maori" school was termed such if it was administered by the Department of Education. This allowed them to employ "junior assistants." At the primary level, in order to overcome the teacher shortage. "Maori" schools only existed in rural areas with a dominant population of Maoris. All that had in effect happened when the word "Maori" was removed was that the administration was taken over by one of the Education Boards. The population of the schools was still dominantly Maori, "so where did the so-called discrimination come in the first place?"
The mixing of Maori and Pakeha in any school was a good idea—but if the population was say 90 per cent Maori as was the case in many North Auckland schools merely dropping the word Maori would not improve the situation. ("A rose by an other name . . . Rapid integration of schools was therefore only practicable in the urban areas. Although St. Stephen's Boarding School in Bombay (Auckland) was a "Maori" School approximately one-third of its roll was pakeha.
Referring to the creation of a separate "Maori" school in Pukekohe, he said that both sides were at fault here, and there had been genuine regret at the enforced separation which this had entailed.
At the conclusion of the meeting the one thing that had impressed me was the speaker's obvious sincerity. He does not speak English well but he does think well (a quality so rare amongst politicians these days).
Another unusual feature was the absence of party platform. There was no "Labour party this" and "Labour party that." The opinions were his own and he was not afraid to say what he thought.
Not since 1943 has there been a Maori in Parliament who could be classified as a "near independant." Rata could well be in this category, a welcome ray of hope emerging from the nimbus of party politics.