The former heard of the Kohanga Reo movement, Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, says schools should use the Whanau Ora welfare scheme approach to health and social development.
Speaking on Friday at a symposium in Wellington on the impact of poverty on learning, Dame Iritana said schools needed more help from their students' extended whanau and family.
She says Whanau Ora is essentially about pin-pointing the role of families - whether it be in education, health, crime or housing - and is a concept that could be used in schools.
Dame Iritana says Whanau Ora is not just for Maori and can be used to help people from all cultures.
