Maori school idea

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 3

Maori school idea

PAjl ! j Hastings - I j . J ' • '! < A proposal for a separate [ system of schooling fori Maori children will ! be presented to the Minister of [Education, Mr Lange! this month. [ - The National Association: for Kaupapa Ma[ori and' the! National Associa--tion'of Teachers of Maori have developed a joint proposal for the alternative system, which they say! would reverse the tendency of Maori children to fail IN the exists ing education system. [: J

In a document named the Matawaia Declaration, the organisations . [condemn thle ■ mainstream education system as [having betrayed the trust placed in it to protect the needs and interests of Maori people. They call for the establishment of an independent Maori education authority, which would be responsible | for regional groups overseeing the operation of total immersion Maori schools in which only Maori is spoken. [

Maori i communities would have the right to remain with the present education [system or opt for [the Maori alternative.' | A i spokesman for the groups said that at present; children going from kohanga reo to normal schools quickly 'lost their Maori language skills. If they i learned Maori throughout their schooling they would emerge confident people with enough self-esteem to enable them to tackle anything in life,! he. said.