He Ara Tika Maori Graduate Awards

24th November 2011

He Ara Tika Maori Graduate Awards

About one hundred Maori students from two of the lowest decile rated secondary schools in Auckland will graduate tomorrow.

The students from Aorere and Mangere Colleges have each completed the He Ara Tika Maori Mentoring programme that's run by the Manukau Urban Maori Authority (MUMA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Chief Executive of MUMA, Willie Jackson says that programmes like He Ara Tika that focus on developing Maori youth are critical in South Auckland. “It's fantastic that so many young Maori who face significant hardships can be supported and recognised for their efforts in school. We are working with about 1000 students and by the end of next year we want to double that number.”

He Ara Tika is a community based initiative that aims to encourage rangatahi Maori participation, retention and success in secondary schools as well as developing further educational and career pathways.

Marama Davis and Mereana Peka, two of the Maori mentors say they're thrilled that so many students have been given a 'leg up' through the programme. “We've been working with Maori students who might otherwise have fallen through the cracks and we're seeing great results.”

MUMA's mentoring team provides one on one and small group mentoring for Maori students aged from 13 to 17 years. “We try to get our Maori students to look beyond the dole queue and see the opportunities that come from staying at school and getting a good education.”

The awards ceremony will be held at Nga Whare Waatea marae in Mangere from 9am to 2pm.

ENDS

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