MEDIA STATEMENT

Nga Kaikokiri Matauranga – Iwi Advocate for Education

13 June 2013

Blame game won’t help lift Maori students

“Let’s stop blaming and focus on what works for Maori children,” says Awanui Black of Nga Kaikokiri Matauranga in response to a statement that teachers are not to blame for the poor performance of Maori students.

“At the end of the day the system is failing too many Maori children in English-medium schools but rather than focus on who is and isn’t to blame we need to look at what has and is working for our children.

“What we do know is that more of our kids at Maori-medium schools, compared to English-medium schools, stay in school longer and gain NCEA at all levels.

“If the government, teachers and boards of trustees in English-medium schools really care about the education of Maori children, they’d either support more investment in Maori schools or put more Maori thinking into their own schools.”

Mr Black said another fact not commonly known was that children at Maori schools were more likely to go onto university and gain a degree compared their Maori peers in mainstream schools.

“Kaupapa Maori is the solution and the sooner everyone involved in this country’s education system wake up to that, the sooner we’ll see the gap close and more Maori children achieve.”

ends

© Scoop Media