Hon Erica Stanford
Minister of Education

The Government is delivering over $100 million in investment through Budget 2025 to ensure more tamariki Māori thrive at school.

“This Government is firmly committed to properly resourcing our bilingual education system and lifting achievement for Māori students. Our Budget 25 investment delivers on the commitments through our Māori Education Action Plan, which takes a practical approach to strengthening outcomes for ākonga Māori,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

This investment encompasses:

• $10 million to launch a new Virtual Learning Network (VLN) for STEM education (Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics) subjects in Kaupapa Māori and Māori Medium education settings, addressing the shortage of qualified STEM teachers proficient in both subject matter and te reo Māori. This will fund 15 kaiako to deliver online STEM education to up to 5,577 Year 9-13 ākonga.
• $4.5 million to develop comprehensive new te reo matatini and STEM curriculum resources and teacher supports for approximately 2,000 Year 9–13 learners in Kaupapa Māori and Māori Medium education. For the first time ever, students will be able to study Shakespeare, international literature, and iconic New Zealand works, including The Bone People entirely in te reo Māori.
• $2.1 million to develop a new Māori Studies subject for Years 11–13, offering students to deepen their understanding of Māori cultural practices, narratives, knowledge, and language. This new learning area will be developed byMātauranga Māori experts and will support learners to grow their knowledge of Māori culture, narratives, philosophies, Mātauranga and language.
• $14 million into training and support for up to 51,000 teachers/kaiako in Years 0-13 schools to learn te reo Māori and tikanga as appropriate benefiting over 560,000 students.
• An additional $60m of ring-fenced funding for Māori Medium and Kaupapa Māori Education property, which will deliver up to 50 new classrooms to support the network, providing access to immersion schooling for approximately an additional 1,100 ākonga.
• $4.8 million to appoint seven new curriculum advisors for Kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education to support kaiako in implementing the redesigned Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, including Rangaranga Reo ā-Tā, Poutama Pāngarau, and Hihira Weteoro, benefiting over 27,000 ākonga.
• $4.1 million to support the sustainability and data capability of the Kohanga Reo Network.
• $3.5 million to support WAI 3310 Waitangi Tribunal Education Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry.

“Each of these investments aim to drive student achievement for our tamariki Maōri so they thrive in the classroom. The Budget 2025 Māori education package delivered alongside investments support every child so they get the very best start and grow the New Zealand of the future”.

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