I am sick and tired of hearing my people blamed for their educational and social shortcomings, their limitations highlighted and their obvious strengths of being privileged New Zealanders in being bilingual and bicultural ignored. I believe that there persists in New Zealand a type of linguistic imperialism, and exponents of this are convinced of the superiority of English language over Maori. Polynesian and Asian tongues. Teachers with such convictions are likely to possess negative attitudes to the mother-tongues of minority groups with which they are faced in the classroom situation.

My frustrations are not minimised when my attention is drawn to the fact that even in predominantly or wholly Maori schools, Maori language as an optional subject is not taught as widely as it could be. The reason I believe is a complacent or indifferent attitude, or prejudice on the part of State School Headmasters and Educational authorities against Maori language.