Māori Party will extend free hours for kōhanga reo and early childhood to 30 per week

The Māori Party launched its Education Policy today and will fight for an increase in free hours for kōhanga reo and early childhood education from 20 to 30 hours per week.

“We know there are enormous lifelong benefits for all children participating in pre-school education including kōhanga reo and we want to support whānau and encourage them to access these services. We will also push for free after-school care for children at primary school level up to 10 hours per week to help working parents,” says Māori Party Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell.

“Education works best for Māori children when their whānau are involved. It is all our responsibility to stimulate the hunger to learn in our children and we should be providing opportunities for whānau to be involved in all areas of their children’s education. The Māori Party will push for an increase in adult literacy programmes to include community-based whānau literacy programmes so parents and caregivers can help their children to learn.”

“We want an education system for the future so we will establish ten experiential learning pilots in Māori medium and general education schools, to grow entrepreneurial skills. We will also maintain ongoing investment in Computers in Homes, Reading Together, iPads in Schools and Tataiako: Cultural Competency for teachers of Māori learners.”

“Many New Zealanders have little knowledge of the Māori history of this country. We will ensure Māori histories will be compulsory, designed and delivered jointly with mana whenua. We will also promote civics education as another compulsory learning area so that our children learn about the political system and the importance of participation. This will also include the place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of our modern nation.”

“We have made some great gains for education working with Government including a Te Aho Matua curriculum for Kura Kaupapa Māori, optional Māori history in the school curriculum for Years 1-13, reinstating Enviroschools and the expansion of the Reading Together Programme. We intend on building on these gains,” says Mr Flavell.

For more on our Education Policy go to www.maoriparty.org/our-policies

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