Back of the bus

Some commentators and apologists for European assimilation don't seem to understand that equality means equal in status - not a heirarchy of strata. Why should one official language have to be qualified with another - but only one way? They ought to be fully interchangeable. Why should ignorance be condoned in this day and age?

NZ Herald:
When a Maori immersion primary school in Rotoiti raised money for a new bus, it didn't think twice about what to have painted on its side. Hawea Vercoe, tumuaki [principal] of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Rotoiti thought "kura" extremely apt, given it was the Maori word for school.
However, after the signs were completed a month ago, Mr Vercoe was told by Land Transport that was illegal, as all school buses must have the word "school" clearly visible on their fronts and backs for safety reasons.
Mr Vercoe was now questioning how official an official language of the country really was, given Maori formally gained that status in the 1987 Maori Language Act.
He said the local community was backing what he regards as the school's right to use the word kura and was not interested in a suggested compromise that the word be used alongside school.
"Our tamariki are very proud of their new bus and they are also very proud of their kura sign on it."

Dumb fuckin' Abos think they're equal? The first lesson the little kiddies get about cultural oppression by the Crown - get used to it. "Why can't we have our own language on our own bus?" the children ask. Because of something called racism... when you get treated like a foreigner in your own country... How can you explain that to a child? Leave it to a foreigner Pakeha to try:

Land Transport Safety Authority spokesman Andy Knackstedt said the concern was for children's safety.
It was important motorists recognised school buses and took care when passing them, given children's unpredictability. [...] Mr Knackstedt said the transport legislation was very specific but could allow the option of using both the words school and kura on the buses.

And a slithering Labourite kupapa to collaborate in it:

Labour MP Shane Jones, whose children had attended kura kaupapa schools in the Far North, said that was a sensible compromise. [...] Mr Jones said he did not think that using the word school alongside kura diminished the visibility of te reo.

The sensible compromise (if one was needed) would be for all signs to be bilingual not just ones for the kura. The word is "kura" you ignorant fuckheads. This is where Maori people live isn't it? This is Aotearoa isn't it? This is 2006 isn't it?