Cultural competence unlocks Māori potential
te-pati-maori
Thu Jul 05 2012 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Cultural competence unlocks Māori potential
Thursday, 5 July 2012, 9:13 am
Press Release: The Maori Party
MEDIA STATEMENT
The Hon Dr Pita Sharples
Maori Party Co-Leader | MP for Tamaki Makaurau
Maori Party spokesperson for Education
5 July 2012
Cultural competence unlocks Māori potential
Māori Party Co-leader Dr Pita Sharples says culturally competent teachers can turn around the alienation of Māori from education, which places them at a higher risk of offending.
Dr Sharples was commenting on reported findings presented to a youth justice conference this week, which show four times as many Maori students are excluded from school as Pakeha, and that two thirds of young people in custody are Maori
“There is a lot of research that shows one critical success factor in education is a positive relationship between teachers and students,” said Dr Sharples.
“The reality is that most schools are failing Maori students, but it does not have to be that way. Many teachers have taken up cultural competency training, and the change is very encouraging.
“Trained teachers are better able to engage with students and families from cultural backgrounds different from their own – not just Maori, but any culture. And that makes their teaching more effective, and we can see the benefits for their students.
“This is so important, because of the consequences if students lose interest in school. As Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft says: keeping students in education could be the magic bullet that keeps them out of court and out of custody.
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“Although Maori are only one fifth of 16 -19-year-olds, they make up almost half of Police apprehensions, over half of those appearing in the Youth Court, and two thirds of young people in custody.
“The way discretion is exercised against Maori throughout the whole justice system shows cultural competency training is urgently needed there as well,” said Dr Sharples.
“The Maori Party has called for a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, to address the gross disparities that oppress Maori. The current situation is completely unacceptable.
“But experience in the education system shows that change is possible. What is missing is the public and political will to make those changes – and that is the real scandal,” said Dr Sharples.
ends
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