Education for Maori

Education for Maori in New Zealand: an ongoing debate For Maori in New Zealand, education has always been an issue in debate. From the very beginning of New Zealand’s European settlement Maori have had a different experience in education compared with Europeans. The differences can be seen throughout the varied education sectors, from early childhood to further education such as university. The New Zealand government’s Ministry of Education has throughout the years established goals for Maori education, with the focus now being on empowering Maori students into using their culture as a positive approach to realizing their potential. Although, through the establishment of schools and educational environments by Maori it is now clear that they are taking the responsibility of educating their youths themselves. These goals and differences as well as the statistics for education in New Zealand will be covered throughout this paper. Early childhood has been a major focus for New Zealand, with the introduction of 20 free hours recently being introduced, thus ensuring that every three and four year old is able to attend a early childhood setting, low socio-economic families that have not previously been able to attend such settings are able to enroll. “In budget 2004 significant changes were made to the way ECE is funded and also to the childcare subsidy which helps low-income families to meet the cost of ECE” (www.minedu.govt.nz/educationsectors/MaoriEducation/AboutMaoriEducation). The Early childhood curriculum is very focused on Maori and has been since the introduction of Te Whariki, this curriculum ensures that te reo, and the culture and beliefs behind being Maori are incorporated into the every day working of all childcare centres. “Te Whariki rest on the theory that all children will succeed in the Education System if the foundation to their learning is based on an understanding of their own cultural roots first. For the Maori child this could mean programmes that reinforces the self-view of being Maori in very positive ways” (New Zealand College of Early Childhood, 2009). Te Kohanga Reo is a full emersion centre that allows the option for families to enroll their children in to an environment truly focused on the goals of Maori. How ever, even though there is true support behind educating Maori from a young age there are still a fewer percentage in attendance compared to Europeans “Maori participation in early childhood education (ECE) still lags behind that of non-Maori (45 percent compared to 68 percent)” (www.tlri.org.nz). It is not only in the pre-school years that these Maori initiated environments can be found “In recent decades immersion programmes have been established. In these education is largely driven through the initiatives of Maori, Maori are responsible for educating their children successfully” (Carpenter 2001, P11). Kura Kaupapa Maori has been established with out the help of the government, and has a focused curriculum of full emersion Maori. This is a direct stand on turning around the statistics of Maori under achieving in schools, promoted by the whanau and kaiako ma. Despite all of the effort behind this there are still clear signs that Maori are under achieving and not reaching their potential “Compared to non-Maori, Maori are less likely to attend early childhood education, are less likely to remain to senior levels of secondary school, and are less likely to attain a formal qualification upon leaving secondary school. Maori are also less likely to undertake formal tertiary training, particularly in universities. Maori who are in tertiary training are more likely to be enrolled in second chance programmes.” (A Report to the Minister of Maori Affairs, 1998) There are many statistics that are easily found that support this comment such as the reading bench mark of students in 2005/2006 this found the there were far fewer Maori children in the advanced grouping with a percentage of only 4, where as Pakeha were up at 17 percent (http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/2539/pirls_0506/34905). Although this comment does not seem to be taking into account other training programmes that New Zealand has on offer, which often lead to skills in the work force, these are the programmes that accept students without previous qualifications, and with out needing to wait until they are 22 years of age to attend, as universities do if a person has not achieved appropriate school qualifications. There are 2500 training courses and options that have nationally recognized qualifications on completion; they also provided a vast number of skills and practical experiences which many universities do not have on offer. Between the ages of 16 to 24 years there was a greater number of Maori participation than Pakeha or Pacific (www.stats.govt.nz), with signs on this increasing rather lowering, as the Minister of Maori Affairs seemed to imply, as found in the previous quote. A lawyer Moana Jackson has been found in the New Zealand Herald stating his belief that it was “the impact of colonization as a background to criminal activity. That process, he argued, led to higher levels of poverty and poorer outcomes across every social indicator, including health and education. Tribes, which had settled and had built their asset base, should be looking at pumping the resources into development and "wellbeing", in sectors like education, health, job creation and whanau support. (Tahana, 2009 p.1) This comment shows that Maori want to take action for themselves, it is also bringing up the varied debate of crime amongst Maori. This may seem as though it is a different issue from the Education and lack of success of it from the state, however, some recent articles found are stressing the importance of education being the foundation to lowering crime rates, particularly in low-income families and Maori and Pacific. An incite on ten key factors that are ‘causing offending, including Maori offending’ (www.nzherald.co.nz) will be looked at with a ten year plan being put in place “Dr Poulton's key message is expected to be that efforts should be focused as early as possible in children's lives because children who are disruptive even at the age of 3 are more likely to go on later to crime and to poor mental and physical health” (www.nzhearld.co.nz). Ka Hikitia- Managing for Success is the Maori Education Strategy from 2008 to 2012 this focuses on strengthening Maori achievements through using the resources of the culture and background, utilizing the way in which Maori learn to create an individualized focus for success in education. By increasing an overall level of effective home to school partnership, including whanau and community aspirations. The plan works in partnership with those that are already in place such as Pathways to the Future and Schooling Strategy rather than replacing them, covering all aspects of education in New Zealand with a major focus on quality teaching and engaging children in the environment so that there is a change in the level of early school leavers, with Maori making up more than 50 percent (Ministry of Education, 2008). There have also been findings that student engagement is higher in Maori-Medium schools compared to that of Maori students in English-Medium schools (Ministry of Education, 2008). Nga Haeata Matauranga - the Annual Report on Maori Education 2007-2008 - showed 56 per cent of Maori left before achieving the second level of National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA), compared with 34 per cent of all learners” (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10556383). This shows that at present Maori do not reach their full potential, is this because of the school system? "Maori learners are three times more likely to be stood-down, suspended, excluded or expelled than their Pakeha peers and four times more likely to be frequent truants" (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10556383). From this point of view the major issue was that Maori need to be able to take responsibility for their own education “ Whanau know their children's potential, and they know how to release it, right from early childhood through to tertiary education. When whanau take ownership and are encouraged to invest in their children's learning, they are able to place high expectations on their children, and to support them to achieve the highest standards." (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10556383). In conclusion it is obvious to see the New Zealand government has prepared plans to turn around a group that is not reaching their full potential, which has often been blamed on the poor state systems, however there is also the argument that Maori children are achieving to a higher standard in Maori-Medium schools, therefore is it enough to try and improve a system that so far is not working, or would it be better for all involved if more Maori-Medium facilities were available? No matter the answer "Maori learners and their whanau deserve excellence, no matter where they are in our education system." (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10556383) The Treaty of Waitangi to this day has great importance, through the treaty there is modern relevance to education and the concept of Maori taking a stand for their own learning, “both the courts and tribunal have identified this principal about the tribal right to self regulate” (Herald, 2009, p.7). References: Carpenter V, Dixon. H., Rata.E. & Rawlinson.C. (ed). (2001). In Theory in Practice for Educators. Palmerston North, Dunmore Press. Ministry of Education (2008) Ka Hikitia. Wellington, Leaning Media Mutch, C. (1998). “Schooling for the Future: Some New Zealand Initiatives”. A paper presented to the Pacific Circle Consortium International Conference: Education for the 21st Century, A Bridge in the Pacific New Zealand College of Early Childhood, (2009). Social and Cultural Studies paper 309. Christchurch, Author. Tahana, Y. (2009, March 28). Lawyer: put Maori in control. The Herald, p.1 Waitangi Now (2009, February 3). The Herald p.7 ECE (retrieved 22 March, 2009) www.minedu.govt.nz/educationsectors/MaoriEducation/AboutMaoriEducation ECE (retrieved 22 March, 2009) www.tlri.org.nz Reading statistics (retrieved 28 march, 2009) http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/2539/pirls_0506/34905 Education statistics (retrieved 28 march, 2009) www.stats.govt.nz Most Maori leave school without NCEA Level 2 – report (retrieved 28 March, 2009) www.nzherald.co.nz Maori schooling (retrieved 28 march, 2009) http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10556383