Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 24 July 2008. Volume:648;Page:17408. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
9.  
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Education 
: Ka pehea te whakatika a te Minita i nga hapa o te punaha kawanatanga e pa ana ki te haurua neke atu o nga akonga Maori i mutu te kura i tera tau me te kore oti i a ratou tetahi tohu matauranga o te reanga tuaono? 
[ 
What will he do to address the systemic failure which has resulted in more than half of Maori students leaving school last year without completing a sixth-form qualification? 
] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Minister of Customs) 
on behalf of the  
Associate Minister of Education 
: Tino nui rawa atu nga ahuatanga pai kua puta ki roto i nga tikanga akoranga Maori. I te tau 2007 ko te wahanga o ratou i wehe mai i nga kura i eke ki te tautama tuarua o National Certificate of Educational Achievement runga ake ranei e 44 o-rau. Kia whakaritea ki te tau 1999 ana 19.7 orau noa iho o ratou i wehe mai i nga kura i eke ki tena taumata. Ko enei pikinga i whakaata i te piriponotanga a te Kawanatanga ki te whakapai ake i nga huanga akoranga Maori. He nui rawa atu nga mahinga kua oti he nui ano me mahia a kei te mahi tonu matou. There has been massive improvement in Maori educational achievement. In 2007 the proportion of Maori school-leavers achieving National Certificate of Educational Achievement level 2 or above was 44 percent; only 18.7 percent of Maori school-leavers in 1999 achieved an equivalent level. This improvement reflects the Government’s commitment to improving Maori educational outcomes. A lot is being done there is still more to do and we are doing it. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: He aha nga tauira Maori e puta mai ai i te kura he iti ake nga tohu matauranga ki nga tohu o wetahi ake momo iwi?  
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Why are Maori students leaving school with lower levels of education than students from other ethnic groups? 
] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: Ahakoa he iti ka haere whakamua 
.  
Ko te 
mea nui mo tenei kawanatanga ka haere tahi matou ki te hapai i nga hua o te matauranga ki te iwi Maori. Although these are small steps they are a concerted effort to go forward. The most important thing for this Government is that we take a combined approach to ensure that the benefit and support of educational opportunities extend to Maori. In fact the statistics show that since 1999 there have been great improvements in terms of Maori staying at school and gaining qualifications while at school. 
Louisa Wall 
: Kia ora koe Madam Speaker. Tena koutou katoa. Ka taea e te Minita te korero mo etahi kaupapa kokiri e whakatinana ana tenei Kawanatanga hei whakapai ake i nga putanga ma te ranga Maori? 
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
C 
an the Minister outline some specific initiatives that this Government is implementing to improve Maori educational outcomes? 
] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: Ae kei te mahi tonu tenei kawanatanga ki te whakapai ake i nga huanga akoranga mo ngai Maori tapiri atu ki te whanaketanga o Ka Hikitia i takoha mai ra e nga tohunga ako Maori nga hapori Maori me te Rarangi Akoranga Te Marautanga he marautanga arahi akoranga i roto takotoranga Maori te marautanga hou mo Aotearoa a Schools Plus e rapu ana ki te whakatika i nga hapa punaha o muri me te whakawhiwhi i tetehi rautaki mo nga akoranga katoa kia noho mai ki roto i nga mahi whakangungu akoranga atu hoki a eke noa ki te tau tekau ma waru. This Government continues to work towards improving educational outcomes for Maori including the development of Ka Hikitia which was contributed to by Maori educationalists Maori communities and the education sector; Te Marautanga the curriculum to guide education in Maori medium settings; a revised New Zealand curriculum; and Schools Plus which seeks to address the systemic failures of the past and to provide a strategy for all learners to remain in education and/or training until the age of 18. 
Pita Paraone 
: Tena koe Madam Speaker. Tena tatou o te Whare. Kei te ’hakaae te Minita mena e hiahia ana tatou kia kite i te kokiritanga o te iwi Maori na reira e tika ana na tatou o tenei Whare kiatautokongia nga hotaka kia noho tonu nga tauira Maori ki te kura kia whai tohu matauranga mena ae me pehea mena kahore e aha ai? Does the Minister agree that if we wish to see the advancement of Maori then it is right that this House support programmes to have Maori students remain at school to gain an educational qualification; if he does how; if not why? 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: Ae koina te take ka huri o matou hiahia ki era o nga ripoata kua korerohia e au. [ 
Yes that is the reason why our ambitions refer to other reports that I alluded to previously. 
] Ko te hiahia kia noho roa nga tauira ki te kura. Our aim is to ensure that students stay at school for longer. Ko te mea pai ake o te Schools Plus 
he maha nga huarahi hei awhi a tatou nei tauira me a ratou akoranga ki te kura ki te whiwhi mahi aha ranei. The most important aspect of the Schools Plus initiative for example is to ensure that there is a range of pathways for young Maori to support their learning and career opportunities so that they can get a job or pursue higher learning opportunities. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: He aha te take e penei ana te korero e toru o-rau noa iho nga tauira Pakeha e puta mai ana i te kura kaore rawa o ratou tohu matauranga; otira tekau o-rau nga tauira Maori e penei ana te kore tohu?  
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Why are only 3 percent of Pakeha leaving school with no formal attainment while 10 percent of Maori are in that same position? 
] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: E ai ki nga tatauranga o Te Tahuhu o te Matauranga ko te mea nunui mai i te tau 1999 ka pai ake nga ahuatanga ki o tatou nei tauira Maori. Koina te mea nunui. I think when people look at the statistics from the Ministry of Education they will certainly see an improvement in educational outcomes for Maori since 1999. They have been attaining higher qualifications. That shows that this Government has done more in our 8 years than the previous National Government did between the years 1990 and 1999. 
Hon Dover Samuels 
: Pehea ona nei whakaaro ki a wai te tino rangatiratanga mo nga tamariki haere ana ki te kura ko nga matua ko nga whanau o nga tamariki ko nga Tari o te Matauranga ki te kawanatanga ki etahi atu raini?Does the Minister think that parents and whanau have a responsibility to ensure that their children attend school and complete their education or should it just be left to the Ministry of Education to the Government or to someone else? 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: Ae ko koutou e mohio ana ki te whangai pepi ki te tiaki o koutou nei tamariki koi na te mea nunui kei waenganui i ia whanau nga whakautu ki era o nga o nga toimahatanga ki te taha matauranga engari i te mutunga kei a matou ki te taha kawanatanga hei whakatakoto era o nga kaupapa ki te hapai tenei ahuatanga me pewhea e taea e tatou te tautoko nga hiahia o o tatou nei tamariki kia eke ai ratou ki o ratou nei taumata. Yes I certainly agree and many members across the House who are parents and who have raised children know that within the family there are many solutions to support the educational aspirations of our young people. On the Government’s part we are working hard to ensure that there are responses that continue to work to support the educational aspirations of young Maori. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: E mohio ana ia tokorua irakati ono nga tauira Maori e whakatahaina ana mo ia tauira Pakeha; tokowha e panaia ana mo ia tauira Pakeha; he maha atu nga tauira Maori e whakatarewatia ana a e penei ana nga rere ketanga i nga tau; hoi awhea ia tahuri ai ki te whakatika i tenei parekura?  
[An interpretation in English was given to the House.] 
[ 
Is he aware that Maori students are stood down at a rate 2.6 times greater than that of their Pakeha peers are excluded four times more often than Pakeha are and are  
still disproportionately represented in suspension 
statistics and that these  
differences have remained relatively constant over the years; when will he do anything to address this crisis of endemic proportions 
? 
] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA 
: I will respond to that question quite directly because although the member has raised a number of issues let us put them into context. Since 1999 this Government has made a number of moves to ensure that the ability to stand down suspend and exclude students is limited and the member will know that. Many initiatives around the country have shown that where we have taken action to limit the ability for schools to suspend exclude and stand down students the outcomes have been tremendous. More to the point since 1999 we have seen an improvement in the numbers of Maori staying at school for longer and gaining more qualifications. This Government has not stopped its programme of work; Schools Plus will work hard to ensure that many more of the students whom that member talks about can continue to be engaged in further education training or upskilling.