and 83.3% overall.74 Schools continue to stand-down, suspend, and exclude more Māori students than any other ethnic group.75 96. The Pasifika Education Plan: 2013 -2017 is aimed at raising participation, engagement and achievement from early learning through to tertiary education. It sets the following targets which are also BPS targets: (a) 85% of children starting school will have participated in early childhood education by 2017; and (b) 85% of all 18-year-olds will have achieved NCEA level 2 or an equivalent qualification in 2017. 97. Pasifika students’ performance in NCEA level 2 has progressively improved. Seventyeight percent of Pasifika students achieved NCEA level 2 in 2015 compared with 65% in 2011.76 Pasifika participation and achievement in tertiary education has also increased in recent years. 98. However, despite these improvements the gap between Pasifika and other ethnicities remains. Data released in 2017 shows that 77.6% of Pasifika 18-year-olds had at least NCEA Level 2, compared with 87.3% of 18-year-olds of European descent, and the overall national rate of 83.3%.77 99. Recommendation 11: That the Committee urges the Government to: (a) Reduce the gap in educational outcomes between Māori and Pasifika, and other ethnicities; and (b) To do this in consultation and partnership with iwi and Pasifika communities. (c) Increase its investment in indigenous language retention and culturally responsive learning environments. Violence against Māori and Pasifika women (LOT 18) 100. Despite the efforts of successive governments, violence and abuse remains one of New Zealand’s greatest contemporary challenges. Children, women and girls, disabled people, and Māori and Pasifika suffer greater amounts of violence and 74 http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/snapshots-of-nz/nz-social-indicators/Home/Education/18-year-oldswith-higher-qualif.aspx 75 http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/statistics/indicators/main/student-engagement-participation/Stand-downssuspensions-exclusions-expulsions 76 Supra note 45. 77 Ibid. 24