Māori education coordination role extended

A full time national coordinator is to be appointed to drive the Māori Achievement Collaboration initiative designed to raised Māori achievement in schools, says Education Minister Hekia Parata.

The initiative, started by Te Akatea, the Māori Principals’ Association, and the New Zealand Principals’ Federation, and supported by the Ministry of Education, aims to provide education that embraces Māori language, culture, marae, tikanga and resources.

Ms Parata announced the new role at Te Akatea’s hui in Auckland today. Current funding to support regional facilitators will be continued, she says.

“I am delighted that we are able to further support collaboration to raise Māori achievement because we know a powerful way to raise Māori achievement is to help schools build relationships with local iwi and whanau so that Māori students have the opportunity to learn as Māori.

“An added benefit is that the initiative dovetails neatly with the Communities of Schools that are being formed all over the country to lift the achievement of all students,” she says

“The success to date of the initiative is a tribute to the passion and commitment of principals of participating schools, facilitators and the coordinators themselves.”

The New Zealand Principals Federation and Te Akatea have been running the MAC initiative at six sites across 60 schools in Christchurch, Taranaki, Tokoroa, Waikato, Northland and Auckland over the past two years. A recent evaluation by the New Zealand Principals Federation, showed it has delivered gains for Māori students.