Identity, language and culture

This framework identifies government's investment priorities for Māori language (in both Māori medium and English medium education) over a 10 year period, in order to provide a coherent approach.

Iwi education partnerships are relationships that iwi, or iwi-based organisations, have with the Crown to improve Māori education outcomes. The partnerships allow iwi to work together with the Ministry to design and implement education solutions.

This story relays how Chisnallwood staff and students worked together, as part of their school review, to implement the New Zealand Curriculum, so that it would make a difference for Māori students and help them to succeed.

At St Joseph’s School there has been a big focus on te reo Māori in the classroom. This was precipitated by the language progressions set out in the draft Māori language curriculum guidelines (now in final form:Te Aho Arataki Marau mō te Ako i Te Reo Māori - Kura Auraki).

Te Reo Matatini is a planning document which seeks to expand the concept of Māori language literacy beyond words, reading and writing.

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa is the Māori medium curriculum, which outlines what students will learn through the medium of Māori language. The curriculum is founded on the Treaty of Waitangi, and is expressed through the vision of students achieving their full potential.

Principal Anne Brokenshire and facilitator Kylie Coulbeck reflect on what is now more evident as a result of the professional learning that staff have undertaken.

Mason Durie speaks of that body of knowledge unique to Aotearoa that we are yet to fully appreciate and utilise within our educational system. (Extract from ‘Te Mana Kōrero: Relationships for Learning’, 2007).

Culturally responsive learning contexts are those where the learner can bring their own experiences into the classroom context. (Extract from ‘Te ManaKōrero: Relationships for Learning’, 2007).

Research shows that bringing cultural context into the curriculum affirms the students identity, and validates their cultural knowledge and knowledge of their whānau. (Extract from ‘Te ManaKōrero: Relationships for Learning’, 2007).