Reading, writing and arithmetic fail to measure up
Updated at 11:03 pm on 21 September 2012
A new way of measuring pupils' performance shows 42% of Maori school children are underachieving in their writing skills.
The first set of results from the Government's new National Standards were released on Friday.
The data also shows 34% of Maori are failing to meet the reading standard.
It's a similar picture for maths, with only 63% reaching the benchmark set by the Ministry of Education.
Education Minister Hekia Parata says it's concerning that a number of Maori are not meeting the standards.
But she says the data will help officials to target students who are falling behind and give them the help they need.
Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand