This article was first published by RNZ.
The Government has released its Māori Education Action Plan which sets out its approach to deliver better outcomes in the classroom for Māori students.
The plan includes commitments to develop resources to support te reo Māori teaching, implement structured literacy and numeracy, and explore options for increasing the availability of te reo Māori education for teachers.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said while many Māori achieved excellent results, on average Māori experienced worse outcomes.
“Just 12 percent 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 percent of students in English medium settings attended school regularly,” she said.
“This needs to change and our government is committed to driving this change.”
The plan outlined early actions to support the achievement of Māori students in English medium schools, strengthen Māori medium education, and a commitment to working with leaders and representative groups of kaupapa Māori education.
Stanford said the next phase of work would provide teachers with resources and professional development they needed to bring the curriculum to life in their classrooms. It would 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.”
- RNZ