Labour’s performance in education has failed Māori whānau and communities throughout New Zealand, National’s Māori Development spokesperson Tama Potaka says.

“Only 38 per cent of Māori children attended school regularly in Term 4 of 2022. That is a shocking statistic.

“Our education system needs to support young Māori to realise their potential. Not enough Māori kids are even getting to school to develop basic skills like writing, reading and maths.

“Only 19 per cent of Māori achieved University Entrance in 2021 and a third left school before they turned 17 years old. Even worse, a quarter of Māori children are leaving school with less than NCEA Level 1.

“These statistics show our education system is utterly failing Māori students. Budget 2023 offered little, other than maintaining Māori medium education classrooms and funding Iwi for curriculum development. There was no clarity around targets and accountability for Māori students most of whom are in the mainstream state schooling system.

“Since 2017, Labour has spent $5 billion more in education and hired another 1400 bureaucrats, yet Māori attendance, retention, and achievement rates are going backwards.

“Education has the power to change lives so a National government will ensure all children gain the skills and knowledge they need to go on and lead successful lives.

“National will get children back into the classroom and ensure they learn the basics through our Teaching the Basics Brilliantly policy which will ensure every child has the skills they need in reading, writing, maths and science to set them up for further education and for life.”

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