Sharples Ignoring Majority of Maori Students

Sharples Happy to Ignore the Majority of Maori Students

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa is challenging the Associate Education Minister to explain why he is ignoring the 80 percent of Maori children who will be affected by the government’s untrialled National Standards policy.

It has been revealed that Pita Sharples told a staff member in an email that many Maori schools don’t believe in National Standards and neither did he. He also said that he was concerned about the impact of league tables on children in Maori immersion schools.

NZEI Matua Takawaenga Laures Park says Dr Sharples is sending mixed messages, particularly to Maori.

“He appears to be concerned about the impact of National Standards in kura kaupapa, where the Standards are actually being trialled. Why isn’t he worried about the effect of untried and untested Standards on the 80 percent of Maori children who are in mainstream schools?” she asks.

“Maori students could be most at risk of being labelled as failures under these Standards and Dr Sharples needs to acknowledge that they should be trialled in all schools. He also needs to listen to the voice of Maori principals in mainstream schools and schools with predominantly Maori students, who say the Standards will not work to lift Maori underachievement.”

NZEI believes as an educator himself Dr Sharples should be honest about his concerns over what is unproven educational policy. He also needs to stop towing National Party line on National Standards and speak up for the people he actually represents.

ENDS

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