Maori Party reveal education policy

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell said there were lifelong benefits for all children participating in pre-school education.

Rotorua education providers are welcoming the Maori Party's new education policy, which includes compulsory Maori history lessons, with one principal saying "students learn better when grounded in their culture".

The Maori Party announced its education policy yesterday, which will see more free hours in early childhood education and compulsory Maori history lessons in all schools.

The Maori Party hopes to fight for an increase in early childhood education from the current 20 hours a week, to 30 hours.

As part of the policy, they also want to push for free after-school care for children at primary school level up to 10 hours a week to help working parents.

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell, from Rotorua, said there were lifelong benefits for all children participating in pre-school education.

"Education works best for Maori children when their whanau are involved. It is all our responsibility to stimulate the hunger to learn in our children and we should be providing opportunities for whanau to be involved in all areas of their children's education."

Pukeroa Oruawhata Kohanga Reo head kaiako (teacher) Jocelyn Callaghan said the increase would be good for Maori families.

"With the extra free hours more Maori families will get into some form of early childhood education and hopefully that will be kohanga reo."

Ms Callaghan said many families worried about going back to work with young children, especially if they can't afford childcare.

"That extra 10 hours will make a difference to so many families in Rotorua and it will be good to know the children will be ready when they transition to primary school."

Ms Callaghan said it was likely to encourage more families to enrol in kohanga reo which was a "big bonus".

The Maori Party's education policy also includes promoting civic studies so students "understood the importance of participating in politics" and making Maori history compulsory in all schools.

Te Kura o te Whakarewarewa principal Hariata Tapiata said she liked the idea of compulsory Maori history in schools as it was "about children's identity".

"Children learn better if they are grounded by their identity so we are always helping the children be proud of their culture by teaching them their history."

Ms Tapiata said it was also "healthy" for non-Maori students to learn Maori history as it gave them "three or four different cultures to line up".

"I do worry about the xenophobia of locals and I think promoting Maori history will help students become more culturally aware."

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