First Māori education strategy

About the first strategy

The first Māori education strategy was launched in 1999 and had three main goals:

  1. To raise the quality of mainstream education for Māori
  2. To support the growth of high-quality kaupapa Māori education
  3. To support greater Māori involvement and authority in education.

That first strategy recognised that Māori educational success was a Ministry-wide responsibility. It created an environment that led to a range of new initiatives, including:

  • iwi education partnerships
  • professional development programmes, such as Te Kotahitanga and Te Kauhua
  • the Whakaaro Mātauranga communications campaign (Te Mana – ki te Taumata) and the appointment of more than 20 pouwhakataki (Māori community liaison officers) throughout the country
  • additional Māori-medium schooling support initiatives such as resource teachers of Māori
  • student engagement initiatives.

In 2005, the strategy was republished to reaffirm the Ministry of Education’s commitment to Māori education.

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