September 12, 2014
Early intervention aim of kura
The promoter of a new charter school in south Auckland says its concern is with the kids who are missing out from the existing system.
Manukau Urban Maori Authority is one of four groups chosen for the second round of partnership schools.
It will open Te Kura Maori o Waatea at Mangere's Nga Whare Waatea next February.
MUMA chair Willie Jackson says the year one to eight pupils will receive an education that is grounded in Kaupapa Maori principles as well as relevant Steiner educational practices.
He says MUMA has a long history of running mentoring programmes for students who are struggling in south Auckland high schools.
"It's been a lot of hard work over the last 10 – 15 years but we've sort of made a decision that while we want to keep helping these kids. Certainly Government doesn't want to because they've sort of cut off support for a lot of those kids. So we thought it's better to get in at the beginning and work with our kids from the beginning so this is an opportunity to work with kids who mainstream probably don't want to know either," he says.
Willie Jackson says the Manukau Urban Maori Authority can wrap its whanau ora services around Te Kura Maori o Waatea, and it will also offer Maori language lessons to the parents.
Maori-focused schools make up two of the four new Partnership Schools which will open in 2015.
As well as Te Kura Maori o Waatea in south Auckland, He Puna Marama Charitable Trust will open a year 1 to 6 primary school in Whangarei.
The Pacific Peoples’ Advancement Trust will open a Year 11 to 13 co-educational senior secondary school in Otahuhu, and Villa Education Trust will start a Year 7-10 co-educational middle school in West Auckland.
Education Minister Hekia Parata says the new schools will help raise educational achievement, in particular for those groups of students who have for a long time been under-served by the mainstream system.
The government will invest $15.5 million over four years to establish the four schools.
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Meanwhile Maori-focused schools make up two of the four new Partnership Schools which will open in 2015.
As well as Te Kura Maori o Waatea in south Auckland, He Puna Marama Charitable Trust will open a year 1 to 6 primary school in Whangarei.
The Pacific Peoples’ Advancement Trust will open a Year 11 to 13 co-educational senior secondary school in Otahuhu, and Villa Education Trust will start a Year 7-10 co-educational middle school in West Auckland.
Education Minister Hekia Parata says the new schools will help raise educational achievement, in particular for those groups of students who have for a long time been under-served by the mainstream system.
The government will invest $15.5 million over four years to establish the four schools.
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