Student loans a boon for Maori

Last month Subtext looked at how the number of Maori with qualifications was increasing; how the level of qualifications was getting higher and how more Maori are obtaining highly-skilled jobs. This month we follow up with a look at how student loans are helping Maori achieve these educational milestones.

Maori have benefited enormously from the tertiary education reforms introduced since 1990, said Education Forum policy advisor Norman LaRocque.

The reforms - including the student loan scheme, a greater diversity of providers and courses and funding for private providers - had allowed many more Maori to access tertiary education.

Government statistics document the gains made by Maori in recent years. In particular:

• Maori tertiary participation is up. The number of Maori students enrolled in formal tertiary education almost doubled (from 33,600 to 63,700) between 1997 and 2003.
• The number of Maori completing tertiary qualifications is up. The number of Maori completing qualifications in tertiary education providers almost doubled (from 6,500 to 12,700) between 1997 and 2001.
• Similarly, the number of Maori students completing diploma courses increased by 168 percent and the number completing certificate courses increased by 120 percent between 2000 and 2002.
• Maori participation in industry training is up. The number of Maori industry trainees grew by 60 percent between December 2000 and June 2004.
• Maori participation in private tertiary education is up. The number of Maori students enrolled in private training establishments rose by some 60 percent between 1999 and 2003.

The National Maori Student Association, Te Mana Akonga, argued recently that "student loans are a barrier to Maori participation in tertiary education, particularly for degree level courses and above, which are high cost and result in better-paid jobs. Maori are effectively being fenced out of this group".

Mr LaRocque said Te Mana Akonga should stop its anti-loan rhetoric and look at the facts.

As reported in Subtext last month, the growth in numbers of Maori in highly-skilled jobs is more than three times that of the growth in highly skilled non-Maori employment; and, on average, Maori working in highly-skilled and skilled occupations have higher qualifications than those working in semi-skilled and elementary occupations.

"The success of Maori in recent years contradicts the doomsday scenario being peddled by Te Mana Akonga, who should focus on the significant investment in human capital and the significant gains for Maori that the student loan scheme has facilitated," Mr LaRocque said.

Te Mana Akonga's media release.

The Subtext article on increasing numbers of Maori with higher skills and better jobs.