Another Maori educator lashes Hipkins

The Herald reports:

A Murupara-based long-time educator has hit out at the Education Minister’s decisions to close partnership schools in favour of special character schools.

Pem Bird, who won the 2018 Matariki Award for contribution to education, said, in his opinion, Chris Hipkins’ actions were “profoundly disrespectful”.

“It’s condemning these children to return to a system where Māori and Pasifika underachievement is chronic, intractable and systemic.”

Bird said partnership schools were making a positive difference for Māori and Pasifika students.

Governments normally only close down failing schools – those that are unsafe or have almost no-one wanting to go to them. This Government is closing down schools that are wildly succeeding with disadvantaged kids, and have huge waiting lists.

“In mainstream schools where 95 per cent of Māori are concentrated, they are routinely failed. According to figures issued by this Coalition Government, on an average school day around half of all Māori and Pasifika secondary school pupils are truant.

Surely that isn’t true!

The data I’ve seen is slightly different but still appalling:

Only 55 percent of Maori students were regularly showing up and 57 percent of Pacific students.

This is the state system that Labour wants to force the kids back into.