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A change of attitude and training staff with the skills needed to teach Maori learners has put Rotorua Boys High School in the finals of the Prime Ministers awards for excellence in education.
This school is being heralded as a model of good practice for its programme which has resulted in its young Maori male students achieving not only academic success but also success in cultural and sporting activities.
Attendance and engagement have improved, the number of Maori boys at the school and boarding hostel has increased, and there have also been marked improvements in relationships with whanau, hapu and iwi.
Other finalists from Rotorua are Te Kohanga Reo o Rotokawa, which has made a point of getting parents and whanau to take on active roles within the centre, and Aorangi School, which has become a leader in promoting good health, starting with a change to its lunch menu.
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