April 07, 2021
Bias against Maori deeply embedded in school structure
Education consultancy CORE Education says schools may need help to find alternatives to streaming.
Māori think tank Tokona Te Raki has released a report showing streaming is still prevalent in schools and leads to lower achievement by Māori and Pacific Island tauira.
CORE chief executive Hana O’Regan says streaming is deeply embedded into the organisational structure of many primary and secondary schools in Aotearoa, and even in early childhood.
Whether the practice is called banding or ability grouping, it is a method of sifting learners for a perceived ability and manageability and comes with systemic bias which means those in the ‘bottom’ group, band, or stream are often Māori and Pacific learners.
Dr O’Regan says addressing an inequitable practice like streaming requires learning communities to be courageous and be willing to change.
Copyright © 2021, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com