Tag Archive for: Poverty in New Zealand

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Vocational Māori Education in New Zealand

Vocational Māori Education In New ZealandMāori in New Zealand face a culturally unsympathetic education system, which has hindered graduation rates and students’ prospects. With roots in debate regarding their separateness from other peoples, which directly affects how special provision is dispensed in mainstream education, there are several schemes to resituate Māori custom in students’ learning. New Zealand is at a cultural crossroads between facilitating Māori beliefs within the classroom or conversely encouraging students out of it into a vocational environment. Here is more information about vocational Māori education in New Zealand.

Contextualizing the Māori Experience

In 1840, there were 80,000 Māori in comparison to 2,000 non-Māori inhabiting New Zealand; by 1896, this figure has drastically reversed with 42,000 Māori to 700,000 non-Māori. Issues of inequality remain tightly bound to ethnicity as poverty disproportionately affects the Māori which, when combined with an education system that does not reflect their beliefs, has reinforced social barriers.

In 2023, 28.3% of Māori school leavers did not achieve the NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement) Level 1, New Zealand’s official secondary school qualification, in contrast to just 14% of the non-Māori. Only 63.6% of Māori students remain enrolled in school until age 17, compared with 79% of non-Māori students.

Colonial Legacies or Responsibilities?

Educational disparities have close ties with historic prejudices; when European colonial authorities settled, the Māori experienced stigmatization. To form an agreement between the two, the settlers and the Māori signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840. However, Māori and English translations of the treaty vary on one crucial point: Māori authority. Article 3 of the treaty not only grants Māori with the same citizenship rights as European colonial authorities, but also states that the Crown should provide accessible and appropriate education. However, what some deem accessible and appropriate is both a changeable and controversial topic.

In a move the government hoped would create greater social equality, it formed the Treaty Principles Bill which was voted down in April 2025 and would have, had it not received a rejection, effectively dissolved the Treaty of Waitangi’s statement of the Māori’s need for individual determination and provision. Seeing differentiation as a form of discrimination or facilitation directly changes how Māori customs are honored, or not, in mainstream education. So, New Zealand’s continual legislative insecurity has resulted in alternate pathways to widen Māori access to education: the first within and the second outside of the classroom.

Schemes Within Mainstream Education

Against a defective educational background sits the so-called ‘Māori Renaissance,’ a phrase notably European in reference and a movement which prioritizes the iwi, the Māori term for their people. Created in 1995, the Māori Affairs Select Committee made a model to support iwi in their attainment of higher educational outcomes.

These outcomes were set to begin early, with the rollout of Te Kōhanga Reo from the 1980s providing a total immersion in Māori language for preschoolers. A more culturally conscious mode of teaching has also received encouragement in the classroom, as a renewed emphasis on building a whānau, an extended family, between teachers, students and parents has aimed to prevent further disaffiliation with mainstream education.

 The 2025 Budget further affirms this aim, adding another $50 million in New Zealand’s capital funding to support Māori students’ success with enhanced curriculum and teacher training, including but not limited to:

  •     Training 51,000 teachers for years 0-13 in Te Reo, the Māori language, and Tikanga, Māori customs 
  •     Creating a STEM virtual learning network to help 5,500 senior secondary school students 
  •     Developing Māori Studies as a subject area taught between years 11-13

There are also three Māori Universities offering anything from Bachelors in Māori Performing Arts, to Māori nursing, or even Mātauranga Māori, a degree in iwi philosophy. As an alternative to a purely vocational path, these courses bring Māori knowledge in line with more traditional degree paths to allow members of the community access to higher education without forfeiting their cultural beliefs.

However, on the June 7, 2025, the New Zealand government removed Māori and Pacific learners as an eligible category for extra funding, prompting insecurity and anxiety as to how Māori accommodations will continue to work in mainstream education.

Vocational Schemes Outside Mainstream Education

Vocational learning is an experience intrinsically Māori in practice, as past generations would impart crafts like weaving and woodworking in a familial practice known as the Tuakana teina dynamic. This principle also determines a Māori’s rights to ancestral lands, roles within the iwi and even, historically, potential marriages. With a focus on how individual responsibility intersects with the community, it provides an excellent framework for vocational training schemes.

A nonprofit actively utilizing this dynamic is the Tāwharau Housing Trust, which originated in 2017. It uses the customary acquisition models of the Māori community to teach trades within the construction industry, while also building affordable housing. One can translate ‘Tāwharau’ as the verb “to shelter” or the noun “a shelter,” which encapsulates the overall sustainability of the project as it not only addresses the housing needs of the immediate community, but provides future generations with the skills needed for job security. 

The Rotorua School of Māori Arts and Crafts

Another vocational Māori education scheme in New Zealand is The Rotorua School of Māori Arts and Crafts, which originated in 1926. Translated as “The World of Light,” kinship is built between students and their instructors as they work on projects together such as the building of a meeting house, dining rooms and various other community buildings. Many of their graduates rejoin as staff to train the next generation of Māori carvers in a cyclical pattern not only preserving traditional practices, but also careers which support creative and cultural expression.

The Māori Trade Training Scheme

 Finally, the Māori Trade Training Scheme, which has been operational since the 1960s, led Māori school leavers down vocational pathways by relocating them to specialist training centers. In addition to giving those who grew up in rural communities the opportunity to live in an urban environment, the trades on offer have come to range from carpentry to electrical work and even engineering to name a few.

Looking Ahead

Considering the closure of the Māori Trades and Training Fund on June 30 2025, the future of vocational Māori education in New Zealand is largely dependent on the community’s own self-determination in light of lost government aid. 

– Carys Davies

Carys is based in London, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Pixabay

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5 Charities Operating in New Zealand

Charities Operating in New ZealandAcross New Zealand, communities are creating charities to help individuals and families living in challenging situations get by. New Zealand families are no strangers to hardship, as about 18% of children live in homes with very low incomes, specifically less than half of the typical income. From preserving food, medical kits, clothing, water and shelter to building better education programs, these charities operating in New Zealand have substantially grown in the path to ridding poverty.

Visionwest

Visionwest is one of many faith-led charities in New Zealand that address poverty and homelessness, support the elderly and ensure the young have hope for the future. It helps the nation by creating community housing, which includes long-term and transitional housing. The organization also contributes to the government‑backed Housing First Initiative. This program provides immediate housing and long-term support to tackle homelessness in Auckland and Canterbury.

The charity also fights food insecurity by providing services like the Pātaka Kai food bank and the Manaaki Kai social supermarket. Through these efforts, Visionwest has made a substantial impact:

  • 13,585 food parcels distributed
  • 7,312 clients are now living independently
  • 4,102 Well-being Center sessions
  • 1,709 financial mentoring sessions
  • 584 households with safe, affordable housing
  • 451 young people to achieve education and empowerment goals

Childfund

ChildFund New Zealand works in communities where political instability, conflict and violence impact the daily lives of children, youth and their families. This is one of the many essential child-centered charities operating in New Zealand. It uses a holistic approach by working alongside communities to deliver development programs that emphasize the outlook of children and youth. ChildFund has fought rising poverty by creating community water access points and providing hygiene training to keep families healthy.

In 2024 alone, the organization made an impact by reaching:

  • 263,026 people through development activities
  • 114 emergency food kits distributed
  • 89 meal kits provided
  • 55 education bundles delivered
  • 35 water purification units distributed

Auckland City Mission

Auckland City Mission is a charity that recognizes the cost-of-living crisis that has impacted many communities. With many only earning enough money to pay essential bills, there is often not much left for food. Auckland City Mission is among the charities operating in New Zealand that focus on bringing communities together, creating meaningful change and rising out of poverty. People in the community experience living in cars, inappropriate housing, mental health issues and struggling to feed their families.

Auckland City Mission has created HomeGround, its nine-story purpose-built facility that houses 80 apartments, health services and addiction recovery support. It has provided immediate housing relief and long-term support to those in hardship. Thanks to its efforts, the charity was able to provide:

  • 39,407 food parcels to families and individuals facing severe need
  • 19,826 health consultations to support community well-being
  • 484 admissions into its social detox program for individuals battling substance dependence

Kindness Collective

Kindness Collective is a charity that provides practical, community-led support through five nationwide programs. Since this is a community-driven organization, its work is varied and its approach is to go where the need and help matter most. Kindness Collective work includes packing pajamas, food boxes and planting potatoes weekly. The charity works like a match-making agency, linking those in need to people with more to give.

Donations have included food, bedding, clothing, baby items and toys. As a result of these contributions and ongoing efforts, the impact has been significant:

  • 69,534 people provided with essential items
  • 20,200 meals delivered through community events
  • 183,988 toiletries distributed

KiwiHarvest

KiwiHarvest is one of the many food-centered charities operating in New Zealand. Its mission is based on helping the population become food secure, ensuring everyone has access to enough nutritious food every day. More than 27% of New Zealand children live in households where food tends to run out. Each year, New Zealand wastes enough food to feed the entire Dunedin population, approximately 150 thousand people.

To fight these statistics, KiwiHarvest works with food businesses to rescue the good food that goes unsold. It also redistributes excess food to those who need it, while protecting the environment. Through all this hard work, KiwiHarvest saves 250,000 kilograms of food each month and redistributes it to those facing hunger.

Through its dedication, KiwiHarvest has created a transformative impact:

  • $18 million worth of food saved in 2024
  • 16.2 million kilograms of food rescued
  • 43,031,285 kilograms of CO₂-equivalent emissions prevented from entering the atmosphere

From rescuing food to distributing essential supplies and providing health support, these organizations drive real, measurable change. Their combined efforts meet urgent needs and build stronger, more resilient communities across New Zealand.

– Emily Herlehy

Emily Herlehy is based in Denton, Texas, USA and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Addressing Diseases Impacting New Zealand

Diseases Impacting New ZealandNew Zealand is one of the many nations across the world that is suffering from a wave of harsh diseases, diseases that unfortunately impact the most vulnerable. Here is information about the diseases impacting New Zealand.

Diseases Impacting Children in New Zealand

Children in New Zealand are facing risks of disease. In 2020, immunization coverage of children six months or younger was at a healthy 80%. However, in 2022, that number has fallen to a dangerous 67%. This decline is especially concerning because the six-month mark is when government-funded vaccines typically protect children from serious illnesses like polio, pertussis (whooping cough) and diphtheria.

In certain parts of New Zealand, there has also been a large outbreak of measles. In 2019, measles infected more than 2,000 people in Auckland, and more than 5,000 people were infected in Samoa; most of the people affected by this were young children. Many of these children also live in the most impoverished, broken areas of the country and thus do not have access to the care they need. 

It is not just children at risk of these diseases. Cardiovascular disease has impacted New Zealanders’ lives to the point where it accounts for one-third of all deaths in the country and almost one million people there live with cardiovascular disease. Other risk factors include a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Solutions

The Institute of Environmental Science and Research, known as the ESR, is a branch of government that is directly responsible for protecting the health of people across the country. It works quickly to detect diseases that are ravaging local communities and broadcast early warnings of outbreaks. They also monitor the environment around them to catch imbalances in food and water supply to make sure that resources are being given to those who need them the most.

The New Zealand government has also worked quickly to address poverty in the nation, just as quickly as they have worked to combat diseases. In 2018, the government passed the Child Poverty Reduction Act, a “goal to halve child poverty and reduce it to 10% of children (on one measure) over 10 years – ie by 2028.” This legislation mentions improving the lives of young children by providing better access to primary care, food security and better household conditions. With these incentives in place, young children living in poverty have bright futures ahead of them.

– John Menechino

John is based in Marietta, GA, USA and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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Everything You Need To Know about Poverty in New Zealand

Everything You Need To Know about Poverty in New ZealandMultiple paradigms change and affect poverty in New Zealand, much like the rest of the developed world. Age seems to be a primary indicator of poverty levels in the country. Here we examine everything you need to know about poverty in New Zealand.

Child Poverty

Child poverty in New Zealand is one of the most important issues in the country. Much of the national conversation about poverty surrounds families and children currently experiencing deprivation. One of the most important recent developments in the battle against poverty in New Zealand is the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018.

The Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 introduced nine measures to help combat childhood poverty. Eight of these measures had a significant effect on reducing the levels of poverty experienced by New Zealand’s children and families. Another one of the bill’s responsibilities is holding current governments accountable for the state of childhood poverty. Every 10 financial years, the government must evaluate the state of childhood poverty. This is based on the standards set forth in the bill. This bill was instituted as a direct answer to the statistics discovered by the New Zealand government.

In 2017, the New Zealand government studied the nation’s children. It found that 22.5% of the nation’s children were living below the 50% median disposable household income after the deduction of housing costs. Stats New Zealand also found that 12.5% of children were living in material hardship. This means they were unable to afford clothes and healthy food. These statistics were a major force that pushed New Zealand to combat childhood poverty. This war on poverty is not just linked to material hardship but to extreme poverty as well.

Homelessness

In 2018, 0.86% of New Zealand’s population were without homes, that is 41,000 people. The most comparable nation is Australia with 0.48% of the populace being registered as homeless. New Zealand’s failing approach to poverty is another reason the Child Poverty Reduction Act 2018 was put into place, but some are saying that the pressures that COVID-19 put on the country’s support systems as well as the Labour government are resulting in a more desperate New Zealand populace. 

The New Zealand government has spent millions of dollars on emergency housing for the thousands of people living on the street or on the brink of extreme poverty. This massive spending has been spearheaded by the Labour Party, but this has not curbed the party’s loss of support. 

Anecdotal and statistical evidence point toward the Labour Party’s lack of headway in the war against poverty as a major reason they lost support. In the 2020 election Labour won 50% of the vote, but has since lost 23% of their voter base. This massive drop in support is an indication of the disappointment that the people of New Zealand have experienced in their leading governmental party.

Final Thoughts

The situation of poverty, especially childhood poverty, is multifaceted and complex, and so is the solution. The New Zealand Government has worked hard and implemented a few pieces of legislation that have decreased childhood poverty.  The Families Package is a $5.5 billion investment that, among other things, improves parental leave pay, increases financial aid for families and increases tax credits for working families. This paired with increases in minimum wage and free school lunches show the way forward for New Zealanders. 

– Charles McFadden

Charles is based in Glasgow, Scotland and focuses on World News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr