Māori and Pasifika students at 12 Auckland high schools may have a better shot at tertiary study thanks to a new partnership between their schools and the University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau.
Schools and community engagement associate director Liletina Vaka says the aim is parity in university entrance results by 2030.
Just 34 percent of Māori and Pacific candidates passed UE in 2022 compared with a national average of 50 percent.
She says when the university looked into the problem, Pasifika and Māori high school students told them they felt their teachers had mismanaged their curriculum and not given them the best chance for higher study.
“What we’re seeing is teachers inconsistently knowing how to achieve UE and some of that speaks to teacher development and really increasing UE knowledge. Some of that looks at reviewing the curriculum to make sure that for example, if you’ve got a calculus course at a secondary level, it matches with a tertiary level,” Ms Vaka says.
Auckland hopes to share what it learns from the initiative with other universities throughout the country.
- Waatea News