In most of the communities, a third to a half of the parents and grandparents we spoke to had been caned, strapped, or had experienced some other kind of physical punishment for speaking Maori at primary school. The exceptions were Pukepoto (only a fifth) and Pamapuria (a quarter), Most of the Maori speaking people we interviewed had experienced some kind of hostility or negative attitude from teachers for using Maori at school, even if they had escaped physical punishment, and they had understood the message that Maori had to be left at the school gate.
Te Tai Tokerau | Northland | Far North | 1970-79 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
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