Principals applaud funding boost for Māori children’s learning

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1791" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;09&sol;SND19-wk3-Funding-Denise&lowbar;Torrey&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND19-wk3-Funding-Denise Torrey" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"259" &sol;>The Minister of Education&&num;8217&semi;s announcement to fund a full-time co-ordinator and provide ongoing funding to support an initiative for lifting M&amacr;ori children&&num;8217&semi;s learning was met with enthusiastic applause at the Te Akatea Principals&&num;8217&semi; conference last Friday&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The initiative&comma; the M&amacr;ori Achievement Collaboratives&comma; are the result of school principals from both Te Akatea and NZPF working together with Ministry officials to find a better way to approach learning for M&amacr;ori&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The answer lies in creating a school culture that equally respects a M&amacr;ori and P&amacr;keh&amacr; world view&comma;&&num;8221&semi; president of Te Akatea Robert Clark said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;That means reaching out to iwi and to whanau and making the school a place where our M&amacr;ori parents belong and are welcome to contribute rather than school being a foreign place where they feel no sense of ownership&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>President of NZPF Denise Torrey said&colon; &&num;8220&semi;The problem we faced as leaders of schools was in fully appreciating the M&amacr;ori world view&period; Most M&amacr;ori children are in mainstream schools and most have P&amacr;keh&amacr; principals who struggle to understand how to create truly bicultural school environments&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;What our principals needed was the opportunity to understand the elements of biculturalism they were lacking and this requires collaborative groups working together with a facilitator who has the knowledge and skills to bring that understanding to the group&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Ms Torrey said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The Minister&&num;8217&semi;s commitment to funding this initiative now means that principals across the country will have the opportunity to address learning for M&amacr;ori children in a way that is meaningful for their particular context&comma; so that tamariki everywhere can truly enjoy success as Maori&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Mr Clark said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;