Appendix 4: Māori and Polynesian Scholarships Regulations

Inquiry into the Ministry of Education's monitoring of scholarships administered by the Māori Education Trust.

The Māori and Polynesian Scholarships Regulations 1973 (SR 1973/59) consolidated and amended provisions that were previously contained in the Māori Schools Regulations 1959. The Regulations established—

(a) Scholarships to be known as Māori and Polynesian Secondary School (Course) Scholarships:

(b) Scholarships to be known as Māori and Polynesian Secondary School (Distance) Scholarships:

(c) Scholarships to be known as Māori and Polynesian Scholarships for Higher Education.5

The Minister of Education and the Minister of Finance have the role of jointly determining the number and value of secondary school scholarships under the Regulations.6

The Regulations provide that the Director-General of Education (now Secretary for Education) determines the award of secondary school scholarships (being Course or Distance Scholarships). Applications for scholarships must be made to the Ministry of Education on forms provided for that purpose. The Regulations cover eligibility for secondary scholarships in some detail.

Scholarships for higher education

The Regulations permit the Secretary for Education to award up to 15 scholarships a year to Māori and Polynesian students to enable them to undertake a course in New Zealand at any university, agricultural college, or technical institute. The Regulations specify eligibility for higher education scholarships, the date for applications to be received, the value of scholarships, tenure and payment terms (payment being subject to a satisfactory report from the institution that the scholarship holder attends).

Any distance, course or higher education scholarship can be terminated following an unfavourable report from the recipient’s school or tertiary institution.


5: Regulation 2A of the Māori and Polynesian Scholarships Regulations 1973, Amendment No. 3 (SR 1982/241).

6: Regulation 7 of the Māori and Polynesian Scholarships Regulations 1973.

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