posted 28 May 2001 01:55 PM         

The Tuwharetoa Trust Board has released a report that focuses on the factors that help explain the success of Maori kids at the
schools in their rohe.

A Trust Board spokesperson, Marlon Nepia, says two researchers conducted a total of 182 interviews in the second half of last year.
And they deduced that there were five significant factors in the success stories – a stable home, support from the family, early childhood education, a passionate teacher, and strong leadership at the school.

Marlon says the next step, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, is to follow through with an action plan to see that more
Maori students benefit from the success factors.

Budget reaction

Laures Park, from NZEI Te Riu Roa, says there were a number of encouraging signs for Maori schools in the Budget. One move that
could pay off for various kura, she says, was the allocation of more money for admin in small schools. Laures says there’s some
potential, too, for kohanga reo to benefit from the extra money being made available for early childhood centres in poor areas, and for centres that cater for kids who don’t have an English language background. Meanwhile Laures is hoping that some of the big issues in Maori education, as such as those that were raised at the hui taumata this year (like a Maori Education Authority), will get attention in next year’s Budget.

Matariki

Te Papa has launched a five week programme of celebrating the Maori New Year. It’s a programme, provided largely by contemporary artists, that has the backing of the Ministry of Education and Te Taura Whiri as well.

And there’s some talk that Te Papa may carry on the programme throughout the year and keep highlighting various elements in the
Maori calendar.

AIMHI schools

A group of nine low decile high schools are to benefit from a move by the Ministry of Education to provide “full service” education.

The schools (mostly in South Auckland) have already been working together to combat problems of low achievement, low morale and
truancy. But the full service step is a new approach whereby, within easy reach, there’s help on hand for health and welfare as
well as education. It’s a one-stop-shop formula.