Lack Of Iinterest In Tamariki By Te Tai Tokerau Government MPs

There’s been a lot of talk about the current Coalition Government’s plans for schools, including changes to the free lunch scheme. As a principal, these issues are extremely important to me.

Late last year, Te Tai Tokerau principals tried to organise a meeting with Te Tai Tokerau MPs from the Coalition Government as these are the people who are supposedly representing the parents and children in their electorates.

The intention was to discuss with them the state of education in Te Tai Tokerau.

Things like…

· The crucial need to keep the school lunch scheme intact.

· The evidence and research around how socioeconomics impacts learning.

· The massive turnover of principals in the region (which has reached epidemic proportions).

· The demise of people wanting to be teachers.

· The lack of resourcing and qualified people to work with the increasing number of tamariki needing extra support.

The result? No reply from two of them. One who won’t see us until May, which is 6 months after the initial request to meet. And the rest? Too busy. These are the people who are supposedly looking after the interests of our tamariki, yet they are too busy to meet with us.

At times I do get disillusioned.

Pat Newman MNZM

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