New Zealand is often contrasted with Australia as a country with more exemplary relations between its indigenous population, the Maori, and the European settler majority. Although Maori social and economic indicators are comparatively more favourable, however, the indigenous people continue to lag behind the average European New Zealander. The latest census figures dating from 2006 have reconfirmed the gap between Maori and non-Maori (or Pakeha, as they are generally labelled in New Zealand). Disparities between Maori and Pakeha are evident in most dimensions of society, including education.

The latest statistics show that the gap in secondary and tertiary educational achievement for Maori versus non-Maori is still significant. Maori school retention rates have recently improved, but Maori are still leaving school earlier than Pakeha. In addition, almost 40 per cent of Maori have no formal qualification as against 25 per cent of non-Maori. Furthermore, Maori continue to lag in post-school qualifications with about 28 per cent of Maori holding one, compared with almost 40 per cent of Pakeha. Thus, disparities between Maori and non-Maori remain, in spite of Maori improvements over the past few decades.

A variety of reasons has been advanced to explain the undesirable discrepancies in education between Maori and Pakeha. Some argue that socio-economic differences between the two population groups outweigh all other factors, but it is more often contended that cultural differences play a decisive role.