Achievement limited by inequality

SOLUTION: Senior lecturer in the School of Maori Education, Dr Georgina Stewart, said socioeconomic inequalities needed to be overcome to ensure Maori achievement increased.PHOTO/JOHN STONE

More support and closing the socioeconomic gap between Maori and non-Maori - these are some things a Maori educationalist, a Maori student and a Maori senior lecturer said are needed to improve Maori achievement in Northland.

The comments come after the the Ministry of Education (MoE) released information that showed how students from Northland iwi fared in the education system.

Members of 10 Northland iwi educated in the region - Ngai Takoto, Ngapuhi, Ngati Kahu, Ngati Kuri, Ngati Wai, Ngati Whatua, Te Aupouri, Te Hiku Social Accord, Te Rarawa and Whaingaroa - were included in the iwi profiles, which provided a breakdown of how Maori students performed in both early childhood education and secondary schooling.

The profiles showed in 2013 between 61.7 per cent to 80 per cent of 18-year-olds from the iwi left school with NCEA level 2 or equivalent with the MoE goal for 85 per cent of students to achieve NCEA level 2 or equivalent by 2017.

Ngati Hine educationalist Pita Tipene said he was disappointed Ngati Hine was not included as an individual iwi in the research but said, in order to reach these goals, there needed to be more support.

"We're [Ngati Hine] connected to our people. Ngati Hine works with schools, we've opened our own early childhood education centre and it's so we can help connect with our whanau," he said "I think all iwi are trying [to do the same]. Some are further ahead than others and I think some are facing resistance from schools."

Mr Tipene said the lack of capacity for both iwi and schools was an issue.

"In some cases they [the schools] don't know how to work with the iwi - they haven't got the capacity and iwi don't have the capacity to work with the schools. The government funds advisers to go into schools and help with curriculum. If iwi were able to do that they would be able to identify gaps in areas."

Dr Georgina Stewart, a senior lecturer in the School of Maori Education at the University of Auckland Te Taitokerau campus, said socioeconomic inequality was also a problem.

"Studies have shown that educational outcomes are remarkably constant over time. Socioeconomic equality is key to overcoming ethnic disparities in education - inter-ethnic history, socioeconomic disparities, and systematic disadvantages that are inter-generational and have been in place since Maori first went to school about 200 years ago [contribute to achievement]."

Mangakahia Area School student Piri Tohu-Hapati is a Ngapuhi student in year 12, he said he was not surprised by the statistics and often sees his peers disengaged.

"Maori students are hands-on people. My peers get involved with horticulture and agriculture and if there's a way to include [that practical stuff] in the curriculum, that would help."

The 16-year-old said he agreed with Dr Stewart - socioeconomic disparities were definitely an issue he saw his peers struggling with.

"There are some parents who put alcohol before their children and then their children copy. It's a cycle and there are some who break the cycle but others don't," he said