September 21, 2015
Support our Maori Boarding schools
Support our Maori Boarding schools
WILLIE JACKSON
The march on Parliament by past and present students of Turakina Girls’ may have saved the school from the flunking out. But it’s now up to Maori to support these Boarding schools before they get into dire straits and ensure they are around for our grandchildren.
Maori Boarding Schools have played a big part in our culture and upbringing since the 1800s. For most whanau, at least one child was ear marked to attend a church-run boarding school, no matter how rich or poor you were.
But over the years we’ve seen the closure of St Stephen’s – which opened in 1844 and closed in 2000 – and Queen Vic which was opened in 1901 but shut its doors in 2001, and the pending closure of Turakina.
There’s been talk over the past couple of years of re-opening those two illustrious educational institutions – and I’m right behind that because I’m a firm believer in education. My own organisation the Manukau Urban Maori Authority has a charter school operating out of Nga Whare Waatea Marae. And while our school is not supported by a number of people who are involved in mainstream education the principles we run on are no different to our Maori boarding schools. We want to turn around the negative Maori statistics which has always been the goal for our Maori boarding schools.
Falling rolls have forced the Education Minister Hekia Parata to look closely at bang for buck.
But to truly make sure schools like Turakina Girls and nearby Hato Paora continue to offer great education platforms for our children, they must be supported by the whanau. The MoE has been working alongside the Turakina Girls’ Board for three years but obviously made little progress as the role continued to drop. But as soon as word got out that this prestigious school was about to close, the support came through the roof.
Last month, Hato Paora headmaster Debi Marshall-Loeb took her recruitment drive to the whanau. They held an information night in Taranaki and last week another at Te Whanau o Waipareira in west Auckland.
She said it has taken six years to turn the fortunes of the school around and two years ago had 100% success rates in all NCEA levels. That’s quite a turnaround from previous years and an achievement we should all be proud of.
Plus that’s being proactive and I applaud them for actively seeking new students.
The Maori Party is now calling for a national Hui to support the remaining six Maori Boarding schools.
But this shouldn’t be just a political issue but one for the whanau and community to drive.
It’s up to our own people to support and determine where Maori boarding schools stand and will stand for the future.
I have seen the change in students who initially attended main stream education who were then sent to a Maori Boarding school. Some find solace in the culture, others in the spiritual guidance and some in both.
I will support any moves that advance our tamariki and youth, everyone should get behind the move to save Turakina.
Tune in every Monday from 10am to Paakiwaha current affairs from a Maori perspective with Willie Jackson
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