Race: The way ahead: The path to success

A group of Auckland educational institutions is seeking $5.25 million to hold students' hands from preschool to tertiary level.

The group, led by Auckland University, has launched an initiative called "Starpath" in a bid to close the educational gaps between young people in rich and poor areas of the metropolis and between Pakeha, Maori and Pacific students.

Project manager Justine Munro says the scheme will start this year on a pilot basis in three groups of three schools each - one primary, one intermediate and one secondary - in low to middle-income areas of South and West Auckland.

It will incorporate the Mentoring and Tutoring Education Scheme (Mates), launched in 2002, which provided scholarships to 38 Auckland University students in its first year on condition that they worked as mentors to high-school students chosen from three low-income schools. It was based on the belief that mentoring could make the difference between them getting through to university or dropping out.

"Starpath" aims to extend the concept down the age range to preschool, and follow students through to tertiary level.

"We are identifying and hitting every 'choke point' along the student's educational journey - early literacy programmes, choices for tertiary, foundation courses," Munro says.

The aim is to reduce what are now huge discrepancies in the numbers of students graduating with A and B bursaries or level three on the National Certificate of Educational Achievement from schools in different income groups.

The project involves Auckland University, Manukau Institute of Technology, Auckland College of Education, and Te Manuka, a group of 28 Maori training providers in Auckland including Te Wananga o Aotearoa, Tamaki Ki Raro Trust and the Auckland Trade Training Academy.

The group has raised $500,000 from the Todd Foundation for the Mates scheme and will receive $50,000 over the next three years from Rotary.

It has applied for $5.25 million over the next three years from the Tertiary Education Commission's Partnerships for Excellence fund.