Promoting Success for Māori Students: Schools’ Progress (June 2010)* 05/10/2010

Improving the presence of Māori students at secondary schools

Most secondary schools reported that Māori student presence had improved or remained at a high level since the last review (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Māori student presence – Secondary schools

Secondary schools that were specifically monitoring Māori student presence had tracked trends since their last review. They had collated and analysed data on Māori students separately from other groups. Most of the schools where Māori student presence had remained at a high level or had improved substantially had a strategic approach and well-embedded systems for monitoring and tracking attendance.

Schools where there was no evidence that the presence of Māori students had improved often had initiatives and strategies in place, but lacked reliable systems for measuring their impact. Eight of these schools knew about school-wide presence, but did not collect or analyse separate information on Māori students and therefore did not know whether their presence had improved.

Among the schools that did not know about Māori student presence was one school where Māori comprised 40 percent of the roll, and two others where approximately a quarter of the students identified as Māori. In some schools, issues with individual students’ attendance were identified and dealt with (as with all other students), but the school was unaware of any patterns and trends affecting Māori as a group.