Mallard has 'lost the plot' says Wetere

Te Wananga O Aotearoa chief executive Rongo Wetere. Picture / NZ Herald

Te Wananga O Aotearoa chief executive Rongo Wetere says Education Minister Trevor Mallard has "lost the plot" and is determined to close down the embattled Maori education provider.

Mr Wetere made his remarks to the Hui Taumata Maori economic development summit in Wellington this morning.

"We are dealing with a minister who has lost the plot," Mr Wetere said, accusing Mr Mallard of trying "to bring the wananga down".

"What he's doing would be sending education back 100 years."

Mr Wetere is defending the wananga from allegations it has misused and wasted taxpayer money.

The wananga has asked for a full commission of inquiry into the allegations, but is refusing a government request to allow a crown manager to take over the running of its finances.

He called on Maori business and education leaders at the hui to support the wananga, and was given a standing ovation by some delegates.

Mr Wetere defended a controversial journey to Cuba by wananga staff, saying they went there to research ways of improving literacy education.

"We have something like 500,000 New Zealanders at below the functioning levels of literacy," he said.

"Cuba is number one in the world along with Sweden. They had major problems there a few years ago but they have turned it around and we wanted to see how they did it."

He said quality tertiary education was important for Maori, and defended the quality of the wananga's courses.

"A lot of other institutions are using our courses to teach their students. About 25 per cent of the students at Northland Polytechnic have been enrolled in courses provided by the wananga."

- NZPA