First Strategy
The first Māori Education Strategy was launched in 1999 with three main goals in mind.
They were:
- to raise the quality of mainstream education for Māori
- to support the growth of high-quality kaupapa Māori education
- to support greater Māori involvement and authority in education.
That first strategy recognised that Māori education success was a ministry-wide responsibility.
It created an environment that led to a range of new initiatives, including:
- iwi education partnerships
- professional development programmes such as Te Kotahitanga and Te Kauhua
- the Whakaaro Mātauranga communications campaign (Te Mana – ki te Taumata) and the appointment of more than 20 pouwhakataki (Māori community liaison officers) throughout the country
- additional Māori-medium schooling support initiatives such as Resource Teachers of Māori
- student engagement initiatives.
In 2005, the strategy was republished to reaffirm the Ministry of Education’s commitment to Māori education.