Press Release

MANA Vice President and Education Spokesperson John Minto

Parata Doesn’t Care about Maori Education and Sharples Needs to Intervene

Wednesday 24th April 2013

“John Key once said of Hekia Parata ‘Find me a person who cares more about Maori education’. Right now he must be regretting his comments after Parata axed the Te Kotahitanga programme, an educational programme with a proven record of lifting educational achievement for low-decile Maori students” says MANA Vice President and Education Spokesperson John Minto.

“Here is a programme with a great track record over a 12-year period. It is yet another example of the Government’s myopic focus on penny pinching in exchange for the education of this country’s future leaders”.

“I have no doubt the money that would otherwise be spent on the programme is now being diverted towards the establishment of charter schools. It is probably going to be spent on Te Pa o Rakaihikuroa, the charter school that will employ the Parata whanau after the Minister closes one of the two Kura Kaupapa in Christchurch”.

“The Associate Minister of Education and a long-time advocate for Maori educational achievement, Pita Sharples, needs to intervene now. Anything less should result in his resignation from the education portfolio”.

ENDS

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