Isn’t this correct though?

One News reports:

Māori medicine and health science students from the University of Auckland say they’re tired of receiving racist comments from other students, and the public, suggesting they get special treatment and easier admission into the course.

1News has heard from several students who have been subject to racist remarks both online and during their lectures, singling out their entry into the degree through the Māori and Pasifika Admissions Scheme (MAPAS).

MAPAS is an initiative by the university which sees it allocate 30% of its entries to Māori and Pasifika students.

Such comments claim Māori get special treatment over other students because of the scheme, and that it is easier for them to get into the course.

It is rude and worse to comment to a fellow student about how they got admitted. Anyone who does this should stop. If you don’t like the admissions policy, you should target your comments at the policy makers, not the students. No student should be made to feel unwelcome.

But I’m no expert on the admissions schemes, but as far as I know the “claims” are in fact factual. There is a different academic standard for admission for those who enter through MAPAS. There may be very good public policy reasons for this, but that doesn’t mean the claim is wrong.

This 2020 article states that general entry students at Otago need a 94% average mark while those in a scheme only need 70%.

Now again there may be very good public policy reasons to have the MAPAS scheme. I don’t think admission should be based purely on grades. But this is a legitimate area of debate and discussion. However the debate should be with policy makers, not targeted at students.