40. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has drawn the New Zealand Government’s attention to its obligations under SDG target 13.5 in this regard44. The Committee has recommended that the Government routinely undertake HIAs and develop climate change policies or programmes that give special attention to groups of children most likely to be affected, including Māori and Pasifika children and children living in low-income settings.45 Recommendation 9 In accordance with SDG target 13.5, ensure that health sector planning addresses the health impacts of climate change and adequately prioritises vulnerable groups. Right to Education ICESCR Arts: 2 | 13 LOIPR Paras: 2 | 8 SDGs: 4 | 10 41. The Government's 2017 report to the Committee acknowledged that the New Zealand education system is characterised by relatively high levels of disparity and that at every stage the system is less successful for Māori and Pasifika students and students from low income families.46 42. Both the Māori Education Strategy Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013 -2017 and the Pasifika Education Plan: 2013-2017 have led to improvements in outcomes. However, despite these improvements, current data shows continuing disparities between the proportion of Māori and Pasifika attaining the benchmark Level 2 NCEA secondary education qualification as compared with other ethnicities.47 Furthermore, schools continue to stand-down, suspend, and exclude more Māori students than any other ethnic group.48 Students who attend schools in poor communities are also more likely to be suspended or stood down from school.49 43. Furthermore, a recent report by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the New Zealand School Trustees Association, which surveyed nearly 1,700 New Zealand children on their experiences at school, reported that many Māori students had experienced racism and discrimination.50 Those findings came largely from face-toface engagements targeted at students not well served by the current education system. In response to the report’s findings, the Ministry of Education acknowledged 15