Source: New Zealand Government
The Government has released its Māori Education Action Plan which sets out its approach to deliver better outcomes in the classroom for Māori students, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
“25 per cent of learners within our schooling system are Māori. While many achieve excellent results, on average Māori experience worse outcomes than other learners on every major metric that we measure. Just 12 per cent of Māori in English Medium settings are at the curriculum benchmark in maths by the time they reach Year 8. In Term 2, only 39 per cent of students in English Medium settings attended school regularly,” Ms Stanford says.
“This needs to change and our Government is committed to driving this change.”
The plan outlines early actions to support the achievement of Māori students in English Medium settings, decisions to strengthen Māori Medium Education and early language acquisition, and a commitment to working with leaders and representative groups of Kaupapa Māori Education to build a work programme that reflects shared priorities.
“We have begun refreshing Te Marautanga o Aotearoa to be a world-leading indigenous curriculum. We have invested in the roll-out of structured literacy in te reo Māori, developed decodable books and pāngarau mathematics resources in te reo Māori, and developed Hihira Weteoro, a nationwide phonics check,” Ms Stanford says.
“The next phase of work will provide teachers and kaiako the resources and professional development they need to bring the curriculum to life in their classrooms. It will also focus on teacher training to support the workforce of the future.
“We also want to continue supporting the important role whānau play in a child’s learning. The Ministry of Education will explore options with the Social Investment Agency on Alternative Education and partner with iwi to strengthen whānau engagement.
“This is just the start. I will draw on the advice and guidance of my Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group as we develop and augment this plan. I will also continue to engage with Te Matakahuki and Māori education leaders so we can all ensure our tamariki benefit from a world leading education,” Ms Stanford says.
Notes to editor:
A copy of the Māori Education Action Plan is attached
Glossary:
Mahere Mātauranga (Māori) – Māori Education Action Plan
Kura Auraki – English Medium education
Kura Ara Reo – Māori Medium education
Kaupapa (mātauranga) Māori – Kaupapa Māori education
Toi Hau Tāngata – Social Investment Agency
Kua puta te Mahere Mātauranga (Māori*)
Kua whakaputa te Kāwanatanga i tana Mahere Mātauranga (Māori) e whakamahuki ana i tana mahi whakatairanga ake i ngā hua o te ako ka whakawhiwhia ki ngā ākonga Māori.
“25% o ngā ākonga i te pūnaha kura, he Māori. Tērā ētahi ka eke ki ngā taumata o te mātauranga, engari kāore e pērā te wheako mō te nuinga o ngā ākonga Māori, kei raro rātou i te nuinga i roto i ngā tatauranga. 12% noa iho o ngā ākonga Māori kei te Kura Auraki e eke ana ki te taumata tika mō te pāngarau inā tae atu ai rātou ki te Tau 8.
“Me panoni tēnei āhuatanga, ka mutu mā tō tātou Kāwanatanga tēnei panonitanga e kōkiri,” e ai ki te Minitā mō te Mātauranga a Erica Stanford.
E whakaahua ana te mahere nei i ngā mahi tōmua ki te taunaki i te angitū o ngā ākonga Māori i te Kura Auraki, ngā whakataunga e hāngai ana ki te whakapakari i te Kura Ara Reo Māori me te ako tōmua i te reo, me te titikaha tonu ki te mahi tahi me ngā rangatira o Kaupapa (mātauranga) Māori ki te waihanga i tētehi mahere mahi e ea ai ngā tūmanako o te katoa.
Kua tīmata mātou ki te whakahauora i Te Marautanga o Aotearoa e tū ai ia ki te aroaro o te ao hei marautanga iwi taketake. Kua whakangaotia te horanga o te rangaranga reo ā-tā, te tuhi i ngā pukapuka ako reo me ngā rawa pāngarau tae atu ki te Hihira Wetereo, he akoranga oro reo” e ai ki a Stanford.
Ko te mahi ka whai mai ko te tuku rawa ki ngā kaiako me te whakangaio i a rātou ki te whakatinana i te marautanga ki ō rātou akomanga. Ka aro anō hoki te mahere nei ki te whakangungu i te kaiako ki te tautoko i te rāngai kaimahi o āpōpō.
Waihoki, e hiahia ana mātou ki te tautoko i te whai-pānga nui o te whānau ki te mahi ako a te tamaiti. Ka noho Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga ki te Toi Hau Tāngata ki te wānanga i te Alternative Education me te pātui ki ngā iwi ki te whakapakari i te whai-wāhitanga mai o te whānau.
“He tīmatanga noa iho tēnei. Ka aronui ahau ki ngā kupu āwhina, ki ngā kupu tohutohu a taku Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group. Ka hui hoki ahau ki Te Matakahuki me ngā ūpoko Māori o te ao mātauranga kia tino whai hua ai ā tātou tamariki i tētehi pūnaha mātauranga e ārahi ana i te ao” e ai ki a Stanford.
