Gifted and talented Māori students

The identification process for gifted and talented students is intended to reflect the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi to demonstrate the unique status of the tangata whenua.

Approaches to conceptualising, identifying and providing for gifted and talented Māori students are dual faceted: they may emanate from Te Ao Māori; a Māori worldview on the one hand, and have significant connotations to Te Ao Hurihuri (the global world) on the other.

The key constructs that are located within Te Ao Māori include:

• whanaungatanga (building relationships)
• manaakitanga (caring)
• kotahitanaga (unity, bonding)
• rangatiratanga (leadership).

The key constructs that are located within Te Ao Hurihuri include:

• ako (reciprocity)
• tuakana-teina (senior-to-junior tutelage)
• mana tangaga (modelling)
• tātaritanga (thinking and making meaning)
• whaiwahitanga (participating and contributing).

Questions / Things to think about

1. How does your school identify the abilities and attributes that your school community values?
2. Does your school culture nurture these abilities and attributes in your students?