Harawira: New charter schools for Maori in the North
Posted on September 17, 2013 by admin in Hone Harawira, Press Releases“I’ve got mixed emotions about government announcing the funding of the first five charter schools” said MANA leader and Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira.
“I know how hard it is trying to meet the exacting standards set by the Ministry of Education” said Harawira, “and yet while everybody else is playing by the rules, here’s the government throwing money at charter schools which don’t have to use the national curriculum, or be held up to national standards, or have to put qualified teachers in front of the kids, or be accountable for their decisions under the Official Information Act.”
“On the other hand, I know the people involved in the two Tai Tokerau projects and they are genuinely good people, dedicated to doing the best for Maori kids. The Leadership Academy already does a wonderful job and the Whangaruru project, although new, kicks off with the best of intentions. And the kids they’re going to help are going to be young Maori, so I wish them all the best.”
“The reality is that 90% of Maori kids are in the mainstream, but instead of a helping those schools to develop a stronger, more robust learning and support network for Maori kids, government has instead scrapped the proven Te Kotahitanga programme and got them all worrying about ERO visits, school closures, cuts in funding, league tables, national standards, and Novopay.
“And finally, if it’s educational success for Maori kids that the government is after, why not increase the funding for Kura Kaupapa Maori, which has proven to be the highest achieving school system Maori kids have ever had?”
ENDS
For further information please contact Jevan Goulter, (022) 088-5646
Susanne Settle says:
Post Author September 19, 2013 at 9:32 amKo Tapuae O Uenuku te maunga
Ko Wairau te awa
Ko Kurahaupo te waka
Ko Rangitane te iwi
Ko Huataki te hapu
Ko Omaka te Marae
Tuiti Makitanara toku koro
Karaitiana Makarika toku kui
Ruanui MacDonald toku papa
Ti Te Maari toku mama
rau
Takitimu te Waka, Rimataka te Maunga, Wairarapa te Moana, Kohunui te Marae, Tuhirangi te Whare, Rakaiwhakairi te Hapu, Piripi Te Maari-o-te-rangi te Tangata
Ko Huhana Settle toku ingoa
So here I am now living in Provo Utah with five of my grandchildren attending Chartered Schools. So after realizing that the Right Honorable Mr. Hone Harawira had already responded to the people regarding his views. I really felt his pain and I can testify that growing up in a Westernized school system was a two edged sword for me.
I was not a good student, math’s was my night mare, sports was my joy. Growing up in that generation where Maori was kept for the Maraes, I soon learned how to play the white mans game. Enrolled at Levin Hospital and Training School as a Nurse and joined the Muaupoko Maori Culture group.
Growing up with strong religious values Families come first past present and future we grew up on the Maraes learning all about our origins, Tupunas cultural values and the importance of our extended families. In the nursing program I learned by hands on experience, and later graduated going on to become a sister and worked there for 8 yrs. before marrying an Englishman and moving to America.
Watching the changes take place from a distance back home, my thoughts are directed to my son Chad, apart from being ADHD and a Special Ed student in High school. Chad wondered for a few years after High School and after a while decided that he wasn’t stupid just that his learning styles were different. So he got a job at a fortune 500 company “ACS.” His first job was sorting mail in the mail room at night and in his down time he would watch and talk with the computer and server people. When Chad left 6 years later he had set up call centers in India, Mexico and Jamaica, he went on to work for another Fortune 500 company “Converges” when he left there he had certified himself in Avaya Systems and was working on Cisco. He later went on to work at another company where he decided he needed to Start his own IT Cabling UCS Inc. company. So now married with 4 sons our son Chad at the age of 36 has decided that he wants to help those that have had or are having similar experiences as he because they felt they could not learn.
Chad believes that given the opportunity, others who cannot earn a university education can however become successful not only in the world of IT, but also to help them achieve a greater feeling of self-worth through believing in themselves. Finally, it is his goal is to help empower each one with the desire to become successful contributing professional members of the community in which they choose to live.
This is were charter schools are needed, a kinder environment a safer environment and a more specialized environment for learning. The only problem I see with the Charter schools back home is that isolating our people in a fish bowl of learning is not good. If they are to learn tolerance, understanding and appreciation of others, they need a working laboratory with minorities who have similar problems assimilating with the same issues they do. Learning from each other will help them be able to deal with the work place and the communities. And last but by far the most lest is I think you will find more people will be willing to buy into it. Good luck to all those working in the system already.
To the RH Hone Harawira, congratulations and keep fighting.
Naku Noa Na, Sue Settle
but it seems that we make our own problems. I think I can understand the dilemma that everyone is in regarding the Charter schools however, since my grandchildren are all attending Charter schools here in Utah I feel a need to explain the pro’s and cons of why we chose Charter Schools. One of my grandsons has the body of a linebacker and he is only 14, everyone expects him to play Football or Basket ball but he Excels in Music. He has been playing the saxophone for over 4 years and played in numerous bands. His Charter school is for Fine Arts. When asked what he wants to do he wants to be just like his dad and work in IT because he has watched his Dad pull computers and phones to bits and put them back together again.
Darian’s dad is our