Part 2 — PERFORMANCE OF SUBGROUPS - Proportion of Mäori Students in Schools
Proportion of Mäori Students in Schools

Results were compared for students attending three categories of schools: schools with less than 10 percent Mäori students (approximately 36 percent of the sample), schools with 10 to 30 percent Mäori students (approximately 42 percent of the sample), and schools with more than 30 percent Mäori students (22 percent of the sample).

The first data column in each table shows the percentage of tasks on which Mäori students in schools with more than 30 percent Mäori students performed statistically significantly lower than Mäori students in schools with less than 30 percent Mäori students. The second data column shows the percentage of tasks on which there were no statistically significant differences according to the proportion of Mäori students on the school roll. The final column shows the percentage of tasks on which Mäori students in schools with more than 30 percent Mäori students performed statistically significantly higher than those in schools with less than 30 percent Mäori students.
Proportion of Mäori Students in Schools Year 4
Subject
H<
=
H>
Science
54
46
0
Art
25
75
0
Graphs/Tables
63
37
0
Music
55
45
0
Technology
27
73
0
Reading
71
29
0
Speaking
75
25
0
Info. Skills
67
33
0
Social Studies
32
68
0
Mathematics
70
30
0
Listening
88
12
0
Viewing
44
56
0
Health
16
84
0
Physical Educ.
0
87
13
Writing
58
42
0
Average
50
49
1
Proportion of Mäori Students in Schools: Year 8
Subject
H<
=
H>
Science
46
54
0
Art
0
100
0
Graphs/Tables
13
87
0
Music
40
60
0
Technology
41
59
0
Reading
64
36
0
Speaking
58
42
0
Info. Skills
48
52
0
Social Studies
61
35
4
Mathematics
73
27
0
Listening
33
67
0
Viewing
36
64
0
Health
21
79
0
Physical Educ.
4
87
9
Writing
48
52
0
Average
39
60
1
   
Comment These results add to the picture given in the analyses of differences in task performance between Mäori and non-Mäori students. While patterns across the 15 subject areas and from year 4 to 8 fluctuate, it is nonetheless clearly evident that Mäori students in schools with higher proportions of Mäori students are performing lower than their counterparts who are educated in schools with fewer Mäori students. The possible reasons for these worrying differences are the critical issue, since it cannot fairly be claimed that the ethnic make-up of the student roll in a school is the causative factor in levels of achievement.