Maori students need more than promises

new-zealand-national-party

Mon Feb 12 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Maori students need more than promises

Monday, 12 February 2007, 1:01 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Tau Henare MP
National Party Maori Affairs Spokesman
(Education)

12 February 2007

The number of young Maori boys leaving school without qualifications is appalling, says National Party Maori Affairs spokesman, Tau Henare.

In a study, Waikato University Professor Russell Bishop found 53 per cent of Maori boys left school in 2005 without any qualification.

Bishop has described the failing as ‘depressing’ and says the boys are a ‘time bomb’.

“Professor Bishop is correct - these figures are utterly depressing.

“If you think beyond the percentages and look at the actual numbers, there are 2,779 young Maori students who have quit school with no qualifications to support their future.

“The Labour Government has been in power eight years and still our most vulnerable students are slipping through the system, and it comes as no surprise to those within the sector.

“The Government’s own information shows 36 percent of schools are either not effective or only ‘sometimes’ effective at engaging Maori students.

“What kind of strike rate is that?

“These young boys shouldn’t have to leave school as another statistic.

“The time for promises is over. Our young boys need action and a commitment from this Government that their education needs will be taken seriously and these appalling statistics addressed.”

ENDS

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