Clear link between learning difficulties and poverty

Maori Party Co-leader, Tariana Turia, has today highlighted the obvious association between poverty and educational under-achievement reported in CPAG’s latest report, ‘Left Behind’.

“You don’t have to be Einstein to understand the link being made by CPAG” said Mrs Turia , whanau development spokesperson for the Maori Party.

“Poverty has a huge impact on school communities in limiting the amount of resources available for supporting teachers and students to achieve their full potential” said Mrs Turia.

“The report draws out the educational impacts of insecure housing leading to ‘house-hopping’ "said Mrs Turia.

"It describes the consequences of absence from school caused by poor health, or difficulties in affording transport and uniform expenses” .

“CPAG suggests that middle class advantage in education has been at the expense of the poor” said Tariana Turia, Co-leader of the Maori Party.

‘While some schools enjoy marketing advantages as ‘bastions of privilege’, other schools struggle with the sheer scale of need and relatively low levels of community contributions” explained Mrs Turia. 

“Yet both Labour and National have missed this point, and instead prefer to blame parents and teachers for the relative disadvantage being experienced by many children whose education is being constrained by the effects of poverty on families and schools”.

“Only when the poor and the young go to the polls in droves and vote will we see a change in the way Governments address poverty and youth issues” ended Mrs Turia.