Charter Schools a Direct Attack on Kura Kaupapa Maori and Public Education
Posted on May 14, 2013 by admin in Hone Harawira, Press Releases“The Maori Party is backing the introduction of well-funded charter schools even though they represent a direct attack on kura kaupapa Māori, and on public education generally,” said Hone Harawira, Leader of MANA and MP for Te Tai Tokerau.
“Although successive governments have starved kura kaupapa of funding from the get-go, they remain one of the most successful educational initiatives for Maori by Māori, in the last 100 years” said Harawira. “But today, the Maori Party is supporting their National and ACT Party buddies spending massive amounts of money on charter schools while kura get bugger all.”
Massey University Professor of Education, John O’Neill, said that early indications are that charter schools will cost the taxpayer more than twice as much as state schools.
“It’s one thing for the rich white boys to give their mates all the lollies while laughing at the poor little Maori kids getting by on scraps … it’s another thing entirely when their Maori buddy is cheering them on.”
“The Maori Party should be ashamed for turning their backs on everything that kura kaupapa Maori stands for.”
“Maori fought long and hard to get kohanga and then kura kaupapa because we knew that a commitment to the language, a commitment to whanau, and a commitment to kaupapa Maori were key elements in educational achievement for Maori students, and kura kaupapa have proven that to be the case time and time again.”
“Charter schools will have no accountability to whanau, no commitment to Maori language, no requirement for kaupapa Maori, no commitment to the Maori or NZ curriculum, no commitment to put registered teachers in front of kids, no accountability or transparency under the Official Information Act or the Ombudsmen Act – and they’re going to get more money than kura kaupapa ever got!”
“And without the oversight of the Auditor-General’s Office, they’re a scam waiting to happen” said Harawira, whose claims were backed up by Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu’s submission on the Education Amendment Bill which said that charter schools were highly susceptible to fraud, waste and abuse.
Other submissions raised the fact that the charter schools model has failed overseas, including that of Dr Bronwyn Hayward, political scientist and senior lecturer at the University of Canterbury. Dr Hayward said that the charter school model was “naive and reckless” and that “our children deserve better.”
“Our kids all deserve the very best in education, not failed experiments from overseas.”
“This Thursday is Budget Day. That’s when we’ll see whether the Maori Party can deliver. If the Budget does not show at least a 25% increase in funding for kura kaupapa, an extension of the Kotahitanga programme, and a reinstatement of the Manaaki Tauira programme to assist Maori students in tertiary education, then the Maori Party will have failed. And if they have, Peter Sharples should resign as Associate Minister of Education with responsibility for Maori Medium Education for his failure to grow or even protect the success of kura kaupapa Maori while supporting the failed charter school model.”
peter jones says:
Post Author May 21, 2013 at 12:15 pmFurther to my korero about earthcat.
You can win the Ikaroa-Rawhiti Bi-election on this if you choose to go there though I wonder if Annette Sykes and John Minto are keen.
If you want to know “What the Hekia”
The full name of Charter schools is:
United Nations agenda 21 Earth Charter Schools. Heh Heh.
At the meeting in Gisborne I was drawn to Leon Hawea and he is a worthy candidate but.
Compared to Shane Nikora he is what I would call (don’t know the maori term) a “tricky dickie”.
On reflection Shane spoke “from the heart” like Hone himself.
Shane is “our man” He is a Nikora and all those other families he named.
He has known adversity and he is Ngati porou to the core.
I have worked with many maori brothers and Shane is in the mold.
He is a warrior. A soldier and loyal to the core.
He might not know as much about politics as Leon but that was Para’s seat.
Not Labour’s seat and Shane can make it his seat in the same way.
If you guys get schooled up on agenda 21,ICLIE,The Earth Charter and earthcat you will have a genuine point of difference from ALL the other parties that will not only help you in the Bi-election but sweep you to power in the years to come.
I am just a tree pruner and I schooled myself up on it all and you can too.
It means moving away from sociallism in some ways but not really.
Its just moving away from The “Billionare version” of socialism.
What the fuck is “billionare socialsm”?
Its not you and thats for sure though Sykes and Minto probably think different.
Stick with Shane because those other two might just have their own agenda and just forgot to tell you.
I still reckon “Te Tangata” will bring more universal support and National Sovereignty is more “at risk” than Maori Sovereignty at this point.
All this is just my opinion. The other candidates will crap on about “sustainable economic development” bringing more jobs for Maori on the coast but it is bullshit just like Peter Sharples’s UNDRIP which I call
UDRIP heh heh.
If you use my taki(it’s not my taki really it’s all fact) you can use their own documents to expose them and prove your case for Sovereignty. Its easy peezy like falling off a log.
Let me talk to Minto and Sykes.
I’ll sort them out.
By the way I know a mate who went to school with Para in Tolaga that would be a better mate for Hone than either of them.Heh Heh.How you would convince him to do it I don’t know though. A honky like me couldn’t ask him and he doesn’t even speak Maori but he would probably get more votes than anyone I can think of.
Ka Kite
peter jones says:
Post Author May 22, 2013 at 7:16 pmMy appologies Te Hamua. If you aren’t Shane I’m sure Shane will have got a buzz if he read my comment.Heh Heh.
Anyway I stand by what I said and wish you all the best with your campaign.
Just be yourself and you will go well.
Kia Kaha