Government Education policy aims for Maori underachievement again

Parekura Hoiromia says under-achievement by Maori students will no longer be excusable and the education system will be held responsible. In 2005, 48 percent left school with no qualifications and currently half all Maori leave school unqualified.Currently just over 1 percent of all students at Victoria University who graduate are Maori - and that could be reflected right throughout the country.

Here are the goals. It's a good outcome if 45 percent leave school without NCEA level 2, and it is acceptable if 70 percent of Maori are not qualified to attend university within two years of leaving school. Thats not in 2008, - thats a 2012 goal! That's underachievement.

At present just 9 percent of Maori attend university, and just 15 percent of Victoria's university students graduate - and that figure is inflated for those who graduate twice like getting two degrees or honours. So if translated to Vics population, about 1 percent of Vic graduates are Maori.

This year's Ka Hikitea document update details how targets are to be measured.

Targets have been set to monitor progress to the the goals of Ka Hikitea. The targets indicate a change in state or behaviour that directly results in the desired outcomes. The targets are aspirational yet achievable... if there is effective implementation of the goals and actions of the strategy.

What the hell does that mean? As long as this nameless strategy is right, most Maori won't achieve - if it is not right, even more won`t achieve.Underachievment is acceptable - and even more acceptable if you are Maori.

Its clear: Maori are not to achieve at the same rate as non-Maori. That is government policy. I wonder if the "aspirational yet achievable" targets will meet the desired outcomes, given the document doesn't clearly say how these outcomes are to be targeted, implemented or assessed.