An Examination of Some Characteristics of the Language Behaviour Selected Groups of Maori and European Children

Abstract

Over the past few years, considerable interest has been shown in the scholastic performance of Maori pupils. Teacher's organizations, Maori welfare organizations, private individuals, and the schools, have expressed concern that Maori pupils rarely reach high academic standards, These groups, in their endeavours to find solutions to the problem, invariably suggest that some aspect of verbal behaviour is in part responsible. But there is little evidence to suggest that this is a problem which is specifically Maori, Investigations have shown that Maori children have educational problems, but the degree to which these are Maori, or alternatively are problems of a more general nature, is not known, Cross-cultural studies need to be undertaken to find the degree to which factors contained only within the Maori culture determine language behaviour, as against those factors which are a function of social or economic circumstances.