Te Ahiwaru hapū has put a call out to principals from Māngere and Ōtāhuhu to come up with a plan to encourage students to return to kura Māori.
An event was held at the marae today where education leaders met to discuss a strategy.
“Principals and school leaders may want to connect with the hapū and iwi in their areas as the New Zealand curriculum changes,” Te Ahiwaru kaihautū mātauranga Davika Wilson said.
Following the Covid pandemic, educators have found children have become accustomed to staying at home.
“Some students have lost their passion for school, and others have lost their hope,” Te Mana Hautu o Te Ahiwaru Stephanie Tawha said.
“The students have heard about ‘Zoom meetings’, and that there is an option to learn from home. There are some who do not go back to school or choose to go back to school some days,” Wilson said.
One of Te Ahiwaru's strategies is to take the students back to the land and learn the history of the area's ancestors.
“We have heard from iwi and hapū education leaders that schools are eager to visit the marae and the lands that host their schools," Tawha said.
The government has announced $88 million to tackle the issue.
“We need to help and work with schools to choose a strategy for Te Ahiwaru children to return to school and then to choose a strategy for the wider region.”
Wānanga will be held with students to determine the next steps to re-engagement.
