Transcript
Mason Durie – Deputy Vice Chancellor Māori, Massey University
It may sometimes put Māori teachers in a very difficult position, having to engage on different terms to what other teachers might engage with – with whānau and with communities. In general terms, you might expect that there would be... easier to make contact with. But there’s a danger, also, in expecting that Māori teachers will do everything, including engagement, which might be better done by the person who’s actually teaching the child.
Wally Penetito – Lecturer, Victoria University of Wellington
Māori teachers don’t always go back and teach in their home localities either. They move on, they’re mobile, they take up new positions in places, they get promotions, they go to other people’s territories where they are the manuhiri. They are the visitors there.
Keriana Tawhiwhirangi – Director, Principals’ Development Association
Often, too, Māori teachers have been in situations where they are the only Māori, so everything Māori gets dumped on them. And while they want to do the best they can for the reputation of Māori as well as do the best they can for the students, it becomes quite unbearable. It becomes a huge load and often a very lonely position. So my advice there is, if schools have a Māori, one Māori, they need to build a network of people around them to support them. And perhaps have a proactive employment policy, perhaps for a certain length of time, to ensure that their one Māori person in there is not alone and is not suffering, and has actual... and has some support from a person, be they Māori or someone who is fully supportive of that kind of focus.
Wally Penetito
So it actually does require an ongoing relationship. One which is where people do things together, where it goes beyond the everyday relationship to take on a greater degree of intimacy. I mean, that in the generic sense, that they have a greater understanding of the place where they are. They can talk about it, and feel easy talking about it, because they have some comfort with it.