Endorsement of Support for Maori Boarding Schools

14 December 2012

Endorsement of Support for Maori Boarding Schools

Recent announcements by Hon. Dr Pita Sharples, Associate Minister of Education, have been warmly received by the Principals of both Hukarere Girls College and Te Aute College.

The Government have announced scholarships to be awarded to young people with leadership potential to assist them in attending the schools, with recipients of the scholarships receiving $1500 every year towards costs associated with developing the student's leadership abilities. Each school will be funded up to a maximum of 15 scholarships at any one time.

"Maori Boarding Schools have a long and proud history" said Dr Sharples. "They have a tradition of fostering academic, cultural and social excellence, and producing successive generations of Maori leaders who have contributed to shaping the wider New Zealand society".

Piripi Blake, Principal of Te Aute College stated "that Maori Boarding Schools have remained pivotal in assisting Maori students to achieve good academic outcomes, with all of the schools delivering excellent academic results in comparison with mainstream schools. This is due in part to the focus on a wider academic and sporting success nurtured within a unique Maori environment that values and connects students with their language and culture".

"In addition, we are seeing a growing number of Maori parents choosing to send their students back to New Zealand (from Australia) to reconnect with Maori values and whanau" says Piripi, "with this trend set to grow as wider recognition is given to the value of culture in the development of young people."

These comments were echoed by Lelie Pearcey, Acting Principal of Hukarere Girls College, near Napier. "We have seen more interest in boarding placements at Hukarere over the last few years due in part to our students achieving great outcomes in the NCEA examinations and parents putting an emphasis on academic success and broader connections to their culture".

While the Government scholarships start in the 2014 academic year, both Te Aute and Hukarere have limited scholarships available in 2013 for both boarding and day students. To find out more about the scholarships and enrolling students for the 2013 academic year and beyond, caregivers are advised to contact the schools as soon as possible.

ENDS

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