School-whānau relationships report released

Education Minister Hekia Parata has welcomed a report by the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) into relationships between schools and Māori whānau.

The Education for Māori: Relationships between schools and Māori whānau report released today says that good relationships between whānau and schools can have an important influence on Māori student achievement.

“Parents and whānau have a critical role to play in their child’s education. We know that when whānau and schools work closely together, significant gains can be made in student achievement,” says Ms Parata.

The report also says that six out of 10 whānau surveyed believe they have effective relationships with their local school.

Ms Parata says this is a good start and there is already a lot of work happening to strengthen relationships between whānau and schools.

“Iwi education profiles have been created so that iwi and education providers can identify the biggest priorities for kids in the rohe and set clear steps to improve performance in that area.

“However, 95% of Māori students in years nine to 13 are in mainstream schools, so further improvement in relationships here will have the greatest effect.

“Māori participation at early childhood education has increased to 93% and NCEA results are improving every year but there is still more to do to make sure all whānau have strong relationships with their child’s school,” she says.

Ms Parata commends the OAG for its focus on the education system’s performance for Māori students and says it is important to share such information widely so that good practice becomes common practice.

“By working together to build better relationships between whānau and schools, we can help all young Māori to achieve educational success and make a positive contribution to society.”