Maori Primary Students Improve Performance

Maori Primary Students Improve Performance

Wellington –NZEI Te Riu Roa is pleased to see an improvement in the performance of Maori students in primary and intermediate schools.

Reports prepared by the National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP) were released by the Ministry of Education today. They show Maori students are performing better in writing, listening and viewing, and in the health areas of the curriculum taught in primary and intermediate schools.

NEMP is run by the Educational Assessment Research Unit at the University of Otago. Each year around 3000 students are assessed in a number of tasks related to areas of the primary curriculum. Half the students assessed are chosen from Year 4, (age 8 to 9) which is midway through their primary education and half the students from Year 8, (age 12-13), which is the final year of primary schooling.

The assessments provide detailed information about students knowledge, skills and motivation. This identifies the areas in which their performance is improving, declining, or staying the same. The aim is to use this information to improve the education that the children receive.

The reports released today compare the results of the 1998 assessments with those made in 2002.

“The good news is that there has been significant improvements in the performance of Maori students in the writing, the listening and viewing, and the health areas of the primary curriculum,” says NZEI Te Riu Roa National President, Bruce Adin.

“These NEMP reports show that the gap in performance between the Maori students and their non-Maori classmates, in these subjects, is closing and that is something we should all celebrate,” says Bruce Adin.

LISTENING AND VIEWING The students performed tasks such as watching a TV news story or advert on a computer and answered questions about what they’d seen. They did similar tests with photographs, picture cards and a recorded phone message. The report states: “The percentage of tasks on which Maori students scored lower than other students decreased substantially for listening and viewing tasks at both year levels.” (Year 4 and Year 8).

RESULTS

Listening Year 4 In 1998 Maori students performed 50% of tasks at a level comparable to non-Maori students. In 2002 they performed 64% of the tasks at a comparable level, a 14% improvement.

Listening Year 8 In 1998 Maori students performed 67% of tasks at a comparable level to non-Maori students. In 2002 they performed 82% at a comparable level, a 15% improvement. Viewing Year 4 In 1998 Maori students performed 33% of tasks at a level comparable to non-Maori students. In 2002 they performed 62% at a comparable level, a 29% improvement.

Viewing Year 8 In 1998 Maori students performed 43% of tasks at a level comparable to Non-Maori students. In 2002 they performed 67% at a comparable level, a 24% improvement. ANOTHER PAGE TO COME

WRITING The tasks students performed included watching a video and writing a news story about it. They also wrote an email and a postcard and identified and corrected spelling mistakes.

RESULTS

Year 4 In 1998 Maori students performed 54% of tasks at a level comparable to non-Maori students. In 2002, they performed 64% at a comparable level, a 10% improvement.

Year 8 In 1998 Maori students performed 39% of tasks at a level comparable to non-Maori students. In 2002, they performed 38% at a comparable level, a 1% fall.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION The students did tasks relating to personal health such as identifying foods high in calcium and iron, and developing a fitness plan. Their co-ordination and motor skills were tested in a variety of ways such as dribbling a ball, hitting a ball with a softball bat and doing forward rolls. They were also assessed on how they related to others at their schools, in their homes and in the wider community.

RESULTS

Health Year 4 In 1998 Maori students performed 74% of tasks at a level comparable to non-Maori students In 2002 they performed 83% at a comparable level, a 9% improvement. Health Year 8 In 1998 Maori students performed 74% of tasks at a level comparable to non-Maori students. In 2002 they performed 95% at a comparable level, a 21% improvement.

Physical Education Year 4 In 1998 Maori students performed 21% of the tasks better than non-Maori students. In 2002 they outperformed non-Maori in 9% of the tasks, a 12% fall. Physical Education Year 8 In 1998 Maori students performed 28% of the tasks better than non-Maori students. In 2002 Maori students out performed non-Maori students on 9% of the tasks, a 19% fall.

“Overall these are great results for Maori students and are pay off for the effort being put in to lift their performance in the primary sector,” says Bruce Adin.
“They also show the level of information the NEMP reports provide across every subject of the primary curriculum. This detailed picture of how students in the sector are performing is of immense help to teachers and principals. They can see where their work is succeeding and where changes need to be made to lift their students performance such as in the physical education area,” says NZEI Te Riu Roa National President, Bruce Adin.

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