The budget released today showed a focus on te reo Māori and its development in schools but according to Maahia Nathan, the principal of Te Wharekura o Manurewa there are a lot more things on the wish-list for Māori schools.
Assistance for teachers in the classroom is one of the desires of Māori medium schools.
The government has allocated most of its $450mil education budget on building new schools and classrooms, but the need is more immediate says Nathan.
"Wages, teaching conditions and resourcing for Māori medium schools are needed".
Nathan is cautious about an allocation of $1mil dollars toward Māori student achievement in mainstream schools.
The issue here is that the government isn't willing to admit that mainstream schools have been found lacking regardless of the support, resourcing and large amounts of funding-whereas Māori medium schools have small allocations even though they are the ones achieving," says Nathan.
The additional funding allocated to teacher numbers and capital resources is welcomed, but it's only the first step.