Many of the older people we spoke to in the country districts did not have very happy memories of their school days especially where the Maori language was concerned. Of those who were able to speak Maori, only the ones from Rawene had no unpleasant experiences; 4 said there was no rule against using the language, and one had been encouraged to speak Maori by some teachers. Of the rest, 10 had themselves been punished physically for speaking Maori at school, 3 had been given other punishments (like "writing lines"), and three said they escaped but their friends were punished. Only one had gone to a school where it didn't matter if you spoke Maori or not.
Te Tai Tokerau | Northland | Far North | 1970-79 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
Comments