Waatea News Update

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Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Education strategy ignoring older Maori needs

Maori student groups are concerned the government's draft tertiary strategy for the next five years ignores the needs of older Maori students.

The draft released yesterday for consultation by Education Minister Anne Tolley focuses on getting more under 25s completing degree-level qualifications.

It notes that Maori aged 18 to 19 are enrolled in degree level study at less than half the rate for all students, and completion rates for Maori at bachelor level study are also lower.

Victor Manawatu from the Victoria University Maori Students Association says the government needs to accept Maori tend to come to tertiary study after a spell in the workforce, and work with that fact rather than fight it.

They also need to reconsider support services for first and second year students.

“Our Maori participation is pretty good. It’s the completion rate that’s the problem, especially with our first and second year student. If they fail 50 percent of the papers in the first semester, they don’t come back. If they fail 50 percent of the papers in the second semester, we’ve lost them again,” Mr Manawatu says.

BINGE DRINKING CULTURE AFFECTING YOUNG MAORI

A police Maori responsiveness advisor wants to see measures to curb binge drinking among young people.

Glen McKay says earlier closing hours and more responsible management of bars would be a start.

He says Maori are particularly hard hit by pubs and clubs being open 24 hours.

Glen McKay says the Australian practice of refusing entry to new customers after 2 am should be adopted on this side of the Tasman.

MAORI COMMUNITIES CALLED ON TO HELP NGAWHA REHAB

Ngawha Prison's new manager is looking to blend international and Maori thinking to reintegrate prisoners back into the community.

Jon Howe has experience working in prisons around the world as well as serving on an international penal study group.

He says that's why he's gone out to the Northland Maori community seeking local help in prisoner training and the development of life skills in areas such as parenting.

“We've got a high percentage of Maori which is why I’m saying yes we have a good response already but some of the answers for the future will lie within the Maori community,” Mr Howe says.

Most of the prisoners in the Northland Regional Prison have family links to the north.

HOKI QUOTA INCREASE BOOST FOR MAORI SECTOR

There's a big boost to the Maori fisheries sector with the increase in the commercial hoki catch by 20,000 tonnes.

Fisheries minister Phil Heatley the increase will boost export earnings by more than $29 million.

Te Ohu Kaimoana Peter Douglas says hoki is the biggest single earning species, and provides the foundation for the deepwater fishery.

He says Maori hold substantial amounts of quota though their own iwi holdings and through their ownership of Aotearoa Fisheries, which has a half share in New Zealand's largest fishing company, Sealord.

He says they backed the reduction in quota from its high of 250,000 tonnes to 90,000 tonnes.

“Te Ohu Kaimoana, Sealord and AFL have supported the reductions when they’ve made them over the last few years and we did that because we hoped it would give the stocks a chance to recover and that’s been successful enough he has been able to make an adjustment by 20,000 tonnes which is substantial,” Mr Douglas says.

He says other minor quota changes for the new season starting tomorrow show the quota management system is working well managing New Zealand's fisheries resource.

RURAL BROADBANK COULD OPEN DOOR TO JOBS

Students on the East Coast are being taught how protecting their intellectual property can create job opportunities.

Tolaga Bay Area School principal Nori Parata says the government's $300 million commitment to upgrade rural broadband services should spur Maori to encourage their tamariki to take advantage of opportunities in the I.T sector.

She says students on the coast are already using digital technology to produce stories for the annual Nati Awards, and those stories could prove valuable one day.

“We are mixing the integration of ICT with other industries like the arts because there are no big industries other than forestry and farming on the East Coast so what we want to do is build the kids own capacity top built their won future and if that means using their own intellectual capacity along with new technologies then we’re certainly supporting that,” Ms Parata says.

The Government aims to get 100 megabit per second broadband to 93 percent of rural schools within six years.

CHANCE ENOUNTER SPARKS IDEA FOR PLUNKET FUNDRAISING CD

A chance encounter with a young Maori mum hitchiking to Tauranga for her baby's second birthday was the catalyst for a new fundraising CD.

Daniel Hauraki, the cultural advisor for New Zealand Plunket, says the woman was picked up by Monique Rhodes, who was touring with Shona Laing.

Her tale inspired a waiata, Forever strong, which Rhodes dedicated to Plunket.

The idea was picked up by other artists including Annie Crummer, House Of Shem, Op Shop and Whirimako Black, who contributed songs for the compilation Merry Christmas Baby.

Daniel Hauraki says the first baby delivered by Plunket 102 years ago at Karitane was Maori.

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