John Paul wants more Maori enrolments

CULTURE: Te Kapa Haka o Hoani Paora from John Paul College. PHOTO/FILE

Rotorua's only state-integrated high school is working to actively promote more Maori enrolments for 2016.

John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh said the percentage of Maori students at the school did not accurately reflect the community.

"Our current school roll is sitting at 17 per cent Maori, which is not reflective of the population of Rotorua.

"John Paul College caters for all our students and we would love to see more Maori families consider us as an option for their child's education."

The school's percentage of Maori students has increased from 14 per cent since its last Education Review Office report in 2010.

Mr Walsh said Maori students were doing "just as well academically as non-Maori students".

"The Maori students we currently have are doing exceptionally well and there are much fewer disparities in achievement between Maori and non-Maori students, compared with other schools."

According to a report on Maori and Pacifica achievement in NCEA examinations in 2014, 93 per cent of enrolled Maori students passed NCEA Levels 1-3. For NCEA Level 1, Maori students had a 98 per cent pass rate and at Level 2 and 3, had a 96 and 86 per cent pass rate respectively.

In total, five Maori students, from the 75 enrolled, did not pass their year level's NCEA examinations.

Mr Walsh said this year they would be looking at ways to encourage Maori families to consider John Paul College as a school for their children.

"People say regional high schools don't do as well as the schools in Auckland and Wellington but these statistics are proof we are achieving at the same level.

"We have been putting a lot of resources into our kapa haka and taiha which are doing really well. We plan to reach out to Maori families throughout the year to show John Paul College is just as much an option for their child as any other school in the region."