The Education Minsiter has appointed former Labour cabinet minister Kelvin Davis to the Government’s Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group.
Davis, a former teacher and principal who previously served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and held portfolios including Corrections and Māori-Crown Relations, joins the advisory group tasked with helping shape Māori education priorities and outcomes.
Stanford described Davis as a “respected Māori leader, educator and a former senior Minister” who had dedicated his career to improving outcomes for whānau, rangatahi and communities.
“Kelvin has been a strong advocate for education, Māori development, and social equity. He brings both experience and a deep commitment to public service to his work and I know he will be a fantastic appointment to the Advisory Group,” Stanford said.
The Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group was established to provide advice directly to the Minister of Education over a two-year term and support the Government’s Māori Education Action Plan.
The groups’ focus is on raising achievement for Māori learners across the education system while contributing specialist advice towards the Government’s six education priorities.
The advisory group already includes Māori education leaders and governance figures, including chair Will Workman, former Mātauranga Iwi Leaders Group chair - Olivia Hall, long-serving St Joseph’s Māori Girls’ College principal, Dame Georgina Kingi, Kaiti School principal - Billie-Jean Potaka-Ayton and former Te Wānanga o Aotearoa executive, Turi Ngatai.
The appointment comes after a scathing Waitangi Tribunal report into proposed education law reforms, including the removal and replacement of Treaty references in the Education and Training Act, which the Tribunal found breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi and risked causing significant prejudice to Māori learners and Māori-Crown relations.
Stanford said she remained committed to working with Te Matakahuki and kaupapa Māori education leaders to identify shared priorities for Māori education moving forward.
