Maori Affairs Minister must front

new-zealand-national-party

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

Maori Affairs Minister must front

Tuesday, 13 February 2007, 7:54 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia must front up and tell New Zealanders what he intends to do about the appallingly high rate of young Maori leaving school without qualifications, says National Party Maori Affairs spokesman, Tau Henare.

“It is ridiculous for the Labour-led Government to claim that Maori students are doing better at school and give us assurances that programmes and initiatives for Maori are working.

“The true state of Maori education achievement is clear - 53% of Maori boys and 45% of Maori girls leave school without Level 1 NCEA. This compares to a national average of 27%.

"The best the Maori Affairs Minister can do is put the poor achievement down to lower rates of unemployment.

“Mr Horomia, as Maori Affairs Minister and Associate Education Minister, needs to provide more than a garbled diatribe on welfare statistics.

“If the Minister responsible for Maori students in school can’t come up with a meaningful answer, what hope is there that Labour are taking this issue seriously?

"These students deserve better, and after seven years of Labour, they aren’t getting it.”

ENDS

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