Or...oh you get the idea.

Yeah ok, I'm sad for writing three entries in one day. Leave me alone, I'm bored.

The whole racial quota and assistance thing: Yeah, I have a problem with it. Not with the idea behind the system, but the way it's implemented. Let me elaborate!

It's no secret that Maori and PIs are definately disadvantaged in our society. Yeah, you can claim they have all the same opportunities and what not, but at the end of the day, you have to acknowledge the whole cycle of poverty thing. Those born into less than ideal circumstances are not likely to easily escape them. Education is one (if not -the-) most predominant area in which they are likely to feel a sort of inequality IMO...simply because the quality of the education recieved in lower decile schools (despite higher funding) just isn't up to par with that you'd find at the likes of Grammar or Dio. In addition to this, you have to factor in the social mentality. To illustrate, forgive me the use of blatant stereotypes: ask someone from Otara what they want to do with their lives as opposed to someone from nearer the inner-city. Mr South Aucklander is probably a lot less certain about his future, his education and his career.

So it's in this regard that I think the idea behind the system is sound. All they're trying to do is close that gap and 'break the cycle', if you will.

The problem with it? Simple - it's a terrible way to go about it. And frankly, it doesn't do shit to solve the problem.

Firstly, there's no proper way to make sure those getting the help are the ones that need it. I'm 1/8th Maori. I've never really experienced any kind of economic hardship, or been truly deprived of anything a teenager needs (read: wants). And yet, under the current legislation/system, I was legally entitled to enroll as a Maori student, apply for Maori/PI scholarships, and get the extra tuition Jian mentioned.

Blatant exploiters of the system are a Bad Thing. I didn't enroll as a Maori student, but I know those that have, who really dont have anything to do with Maoridom except a relative three generations ago. This is not good.

Secondly, it lowers the quality of graduates whom are coming out of our tertiary institutions. If Mr Maori gets into Law Part 1 with a 220 Bursary over Mr Pakeha with a 320 bursary because they ran out of normal entry spots, then that too is a Bad Thing!

OK, but if we abolish the system, then doesn't that mean that the majority of graduates are going to be Pakeha or Asian? Well, duh, of course. And that's where the problem lies. In my opinion, if you're to abolish the system, you need to tackle the problem at it's core - the grass roots of education and social indoctrination. That's a task for the Government. They need to sort out lower decile education PROPERLY - not just throw money at schools in South Auckland. If kids are leaving Otara High School with an average bursary of 300 rather than 200 (I have NFI how NCEA works, so forgive my useage of the old system) then a racial quota entry system will be a mute point - everyone applying will have a roughly equal education.

Wow! Rambling! Sorry if that's kinda disjointed and random - I'm tired.