MEDIA STATEMENT
Hon Dr Pita Sharples
Co-Leader of the Maori Party
19 May 2011

Maori Party invests $100m+ in Maori children

Maori children living in impoverished areas stand to benefit from the $105.1m the Maori party has secured for educational initiatives.

“Our aim is to invest in our future – to provide a better quality of education for so many tamariki who have been let down by the system,” Maori Party co-leader Dr Pita Sharples said.

“We’ve heard the cries of so many our whanau about not being able to afford to get their kids to school, especially in rural areas, not having enough resources to learn their language and not have proper facilities to learn.

“Our focus on education in this round has been on addressing some fundamental challenges facing our people..”

The funding will be allocated to the following areas:
• $9 million over four years to support iwi to develop school and community based language initiatives.
• $3 million over three years to support Te Runanganui o nga Kura Kaupapa Maori to develop a curriculum and associated resources based on the philosophy of Te Aho Matua.
• $8 million over four years to realign kura transport assistance (which has been capped since 1995) with mainstream schools.
• $60 million over four years to build new kura kaupapa Maori and upgrade existing school buildings.
• $6.5 million to expand family-based literacy programmes to all decile one, two and three schools, building on the current Reading Together programme.
• $17 million over four years to allow an additional 20 schools to participate in the Te Kotahitanga teacher training programme – aimed at lifting Maori underachievement.
•
Maori Party – Primary and Secondary Education Policy:
• We will promote whanau engagement by investing in communities and innovation.
• We will support professional development for teachers, particularly in cultural competency.
• We will promote participation in, and increase numbers of Maori language teachers to increase the level and use of te reo Maori at all levels.
• We will develop and monitor a competency framework for Maori language teachers.
• We will invest in literacy and numeracy services that can reach children, parents and whanau in rural areas.
• Greater freedom to supplement Maori educational outcomes with whanau, hapu and iwi models of education.

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