18 June 2009 - Universities are extremely active in employing programmes to ensure increased Māori participation and success in university education.

Professor Roger Field who chairs the universities' representative body, the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee, says such programmes provide and enhance pathways for Māori from secondary to tertiary education.

Other university programmes at foundation level ensure that Māori have the necessary attributes to succeed at university study, ensuring their progression to graduation with qualifications which will enhance both their career prospects and societal contribution.

"Above all, universities must ensure that Māori students are properly prepared for university-level study. It is counter productive in the extreme to set up any group in society to fail at the highest level of the education system."

Professor Field says the Tertiary Education Commission has supported university initiatives to improve Māori access to, and achievement in, university education through the Commission's Priorities for Focus fund.

"In the debate over Māori access to university education, the point has already been made that university enrolment is currently capped and that any move to increase the number of students attending university will require additional public investment.

"However, with this issue the emphasis for universities is the continued improvement of access for Māori to university education and ensuring their success once they are studying at that level. There is clear evidence that universities are succeeding with these goals."

One such successful approach to ensuring Māori achievement at university was active mentoring and monitoring at programme level during the first year of study with appropriate interventions when students encountered difficulties. Research had shown that approach greatly increased the likelihood of Māori students completing their qualifications.