13 May 2004

Hon Matt Robson MP, Progressive Deputy Leader

National foolish to Maori-bash a successful education provider

The educational success of Maori and Pacific students is in the interest of all New Zealanders said Hon Matt Robson, Progressive Deputy Leader, responding to National's Bill English attack on Te Wananga o Aotearoa. Those growing Maori and Pacific Island communities are projected to include over half a million working age people by 2021.

"National's education spokesperson is continuing the run of ‘unfortunate’ National announcements in attacking an initiative of one of the most successful educational institutions. Maori, Pacific, Asian and Pakeha students are all flocking through the doors of Te Wananga o Aotearoa and succeeding.

"Now 2000 of their students are being offered, in a pilot scheme, a free computer if they successfully complete their courses. All serious educationalists know that the drop out rate for students in many areas of our education system is too high.

“This incentive, paid for by the Aotearoa Charitable Trust which was established in 1987, will be applauded by all who want success for the students in these courses and success for New Zealand."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>