Educational Inequities in DOE Schools

Overview
Native Hawaiian children have long faced systemic inequities in Hawaiʻi’s public school system.

Key Facts

• Achievement gap: DOE data consistently shows Native Hawaiian students underperforming in math and reading compared to state averages.

• Dropout rates: Historically higher among Hawaiian students.

• College attendance: Lower enrollment and completion rates than other groups.

• Disciplinary disparities: Native Hawaiian boys are disproportionately suspended or disciplined.

• Language neglect: Until immersion schools were established in the 1980s, Hawaiian language and culture were marginalized in DOE curriculum.

Why It Matters

• DOE has failed to provide equal opportunities for Hawaiian children.

• This is exactly why Princess Pauahi created Kamehameha Schools: to remedy these systemic failures with culturally grounded, high-quality education.

• KS provides scholarships, outreach, and educational programs that reach beyond its campuses to support thousands of Hawaiian students statewide.

Sources

• Hawaiʻi DOE annual reports

• Kamehameha Schools’ Nā Honua Mauli Ola research

• Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Native Hawaiian Educational Assessment (1983, 2015)