More money has been allocated for Maori education in the Budget presented on Thursday.
But the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees at Hato Petera College in Auckland says the Budget has not brought much help to their school.
Janice Smith says the Board of Trustees is grateful for 2% increase in their operating budget, but it won’t make it much easier for the Maori co-educational school, which has about 100 pupils, to make ends meet.
She says it has been increasingly difficult for Hato Petera, which is a decile three school, to keep up with increased costs, as it can’t rely on fundraising in the community.
Ms Smith says every year Hato Petera College enrols a number of year nine students whose standards of literacy are well below what’s required.
Over the next four years $19.087 million will be allocated to Maori language early childhood education services to be spread over four years. Spending is aimed at getting more tamariki into Maori pre-schools – including kohanga reo services.
There is also an increase in what is called Equity Funding – money to support and help children achieve educational success, particularly Maori and Pasifika students.
That initiative will receive nearly $50 million over four years – and will be spent across the entire early childhood education sector.
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