Funding in this year’s Māori Budget package to build and expand schools delivering Māori Medium Education will ensure more ākonga can access quality classrooms and learning facilities, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis said today.

“This funding will allow more Māori ākonga to learn in Te Reo Māori - and not just learn in immersion but learn in safe, dry, comfortable classrooms which will lead to better learning outcomes,” Kelvin Davis said.

Māori Ministers visited the future site of Te Pūtahi Māori o Manurewa today, to celebrate a more than $91 million investment, made up of $77 million in new capital and $14 million in associated operating funding, for Māori Medium School Property, announced by the Government last week.

“Schools teaching in Reo Māori tend to be smaller, or in more rural communities. In the past, they have often missed out on funding to bigger schools in city centres who are also facing rapid growth,” Kelvin Davis said.

“But we know the number of school-aged Māori students learning or wanting to learn in Māori provision across rohe and regions is growing.

“Kura and Māori medium schools are a vital part of the education system and are delivering strong results for ākonga, so meeting this growth is essential,” Kelvin Davis said.

Today’s announcement includes $77 million in new capital and provides:

• $18.9 million for Te Pūtahi Māori o Manurewa, a campus that will house both Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manurewa and Te Wharekura o Manurewa. This is on top of $24 million announced by the previous Government.
• A further $11.6 million for Manukura, a special character school in Palmerston North. This is on top of $20 million announced in 2018, and will deliver an additional 100 student places, leaving the school with capacity for 300 students.
• $17.1 million for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori Te Wananga Whare Tapere o Takitimu. The school was allocated $12.7 million by the previous Government, but this funding will increase the school’s capacity by a further 120 student places.
• $29.4 million for roll growth classrooms at existing Māori Medium schools, delivering around 550 additional student places
• A programme contingency to address any unforeseen issues or risks that could affect the delivery of the Māori Medium Education growth programme.

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