Low income students to receive education leg-up

Next year, "navigators" will be provided to 600 children at Tikipunga Primary and other schools, by Ngatahi Education Initiative and the I Have A Dream Foundation. Photo / John Stone

A project tipped to change the lives of at least 1500 low-income Northland pupils launches today.

From next year, "navigators" will be provided to the 600 children in years 1 to 8 at Tikipunga Primary, Totara Grove, Tikipunga High schools and Te Kura O Otangarei, following a marathon fundraising effort by Ngatahi Education Initiative and the I Have A Dream Foundation.

A similar project in Auckland over the last 12 years saw 80 per cent of "navigated" children going to university, compared with 30 per cent of a control group.

Ngatahi said in its mission statement that "education is a proven social investment able to break inter-generational cycles of poverty".

I Have A Dream Foundation chief executive Ant Backhouse said the programme would expand each year until it included all year levels.

"As those students grow up we add in the year 1 kids, until we have all the kids from year 1 to 15 (two years out of high school). By that stage there's 1500 kids," he said.

The programme cost about $1000 per student per year.

"So far we've got enough to make the programme sustainable for the next three years," Mr Backhouse said.

The navigators will follow the children through primary, secondary and tertiary education to provide consistent academic oversight, advocacy and support.

They would have a formal relationship with the participating schools, work with the children's families and help co-ordinate social services affecting that child. The project would launch today with a 1000-person ceremony at Tikipunga High from noon.