May 27, 2014
Better Maori learning options
Education Minister Hekia Parata says the education sector unions are flat out wrong in their criticism of partnership schools.
Ms Parata says the authorisation board has shortlisted and interviewed eight of the applicants to run the second round of publicly-funded private schools.
Primary teachers union NZEI Te Riu Roa says it’s an expensive ideologically-driven experiment that is sucking resources from other schools.
Ms Parata says the money committed to the five existing schools is a tiny fraction of the total education budget.
She says the criticism is similar to the opposition met by kura kaupapa Maori.
" There was a concern that our kids couldnt be educated because they were going to learn in te Reo Maori only. that they wouldnt be able to learn english. We now know that our young people who go to kura whether it be kura a iwi or kura kaupapa do better on average than Maori in the mainstream. So I am very focused on what are some of the other options and heres one other option " she says.
Hekia Parata says over 90 percent of the 340 children in the five partnership schools are Maori or Pasifika from poor homes, and many are getting their second or third chance at education after failing in the mainstream system.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH HEKIA PARATA CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MTg1Mzc=
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