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More communities will benefit from an acclaimed school literacy programme, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Dr Pita Sharples say.  

An extra $2.4 million of operating funding over the next four years will go to the Reading Together Programme so it can expand to include more than 140 decile 4 and 5 schools.

Reading Together is a research-based programme that helps parents to support their children's reading at home.

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Māori Affairs Minister Dr Pita Sharples have acknowledged the leadership of King Tuheitia and welcomed this weekend’s hui to discuss governance of the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust.

Education Ministers Hekia Parata and Dr Pita Sharples have referred matters relating to Te Pataka Ohanga, a private company owned by the Te Kohanga Reo National Trust Board, to the Serious Fraud Office.

Ms Parata and Dr Sharples commissioned Ernst and Young to review the public funding provided to the Trust and establish that there were proper financial controls around the funding for 460 kōhanga centres and the 9,000 children enrolled in them.

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Minister of Education, Dr Pita Sharples have released the independent review of Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust, which shows the Trust’s financial controls are effective.

“The Trust receives around $92 million per annum in public funding. It was important, given allegations about inappropriate credit card use at the Trust’s private company Te Pataka Ohanga, to establish that there were proper financial controls around the public funding provided for kōhanga reo,” Ms Parata says. 

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Education Minister Hon Dr Pita Sharples confirmed today that the Independent Review of Public Funding to Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board is underway.

“A lot of work has been completed to establish this independent review, with Ernst & Young commissioned to carry it out. I am pleased that this has moved forward with urgency,” says Ms Parata.

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Minister Dr Hon Pita Sharples have met with representatives of the Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board tonight to discuss the allegations made against them.

“While we were encouraged by the actions that the Trust has taken so far, which they have advised us of tonight, we have informed the Trust that the Ministry of Education will be commissioning an independent, specialist audit firm to review the controls the Trust has in place to assure itself that public funding is being used appropriately.

The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board has announced two new education initiatives as part of this year’s 70th anniversary celebrations of one of New Zealand’s greatest war heroes.

In recognition of the awarding of the Victoria Cross to Second Lieutenant Te Moana Nui a Kiwa Ngārimu, the Board will invest $250,000 into resourcing histories of each of the Māori Battalion's four rifle companies and related initiatives.

Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Minister Pita Sharples have announced the establishment of an expert reference group on the Māori-medium teaching workforce.

The reference group will advise the Government on how to increase the number of high-quality, te reo-fluent teachers in Māori-medium education.

The ten strong group, who will meet for the first time today, is made of up principals, academics and business leaders.