Ka Hikitia

Ka Hikitia (the Māori Education Strategy for Māori learners) and Tau Mai Te Reo (The Māori Language in Education Strategy for all learners) have been refreshed as part of the Education Work Programme.

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013–2017 is our strategy to rapidly change how the education system performs so that all Māori students gain the skills, qualifications and knowledge they need to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori.

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013–2017 is an updated strategy, not a brand new one. Its predecessor, Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success 2008–2012, set the direction for improving how the education system performs for Māori students.

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013–2017 builds on the changes and success we have seen through Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success 2008–2012. This renewed strategy celebrates success and accelerates the pace for more of it.

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013–2017 calls for focus and action from everyone who plays a role in education – students, parents, iwi, whānau, education leaders and professionals, businesses, government agencies, the Ministry of Education and other education sector agencies. It’s in every New Zealander’s interest to back strong educational outcomes for all our students as an investment in New Zealand’s future.

The previous strategy

Ka Hikitia - Managing for Success: The Māori Education Strategy 2008 - 2012 is the Ministry of Education's approach to improving the performance of the education system for and with Māori. It is a key aspect of having a quality education system where all students are succeeding and achieving.

Strategic intent

The strategic intent of Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success is ‘Māori enjoying education success as Māori’. This recognises the widespread aspirations of Māori to live and succeed as Māori in te Ao Māori, in Aotearoa New Zealand society and in the wider world.

In this strategy, ‘Māori enjoying education success as Māori’ means having an education system that provides all Māori learners with the opportunity to get what they require to realise their own unique potential and succeed in their lives as Māori.

Succeeding as Māori captures and reflects that identity and culture are essential ingredients of success. The strategy takes a broad view of success and recognises the multiple concepts of success held by students, whānau, hapū, iwi, and education professionals and providers

Strategy focus areas

There are four focus areas that describe where things will change. The four focus areas are those where coordinated activity has the potential for greatest impact.

Three areas attend to particular points of vulnerability for Māori students in the system.

These three areas are:

• Foundation Years (early childhood education and the first years at school)
• Young People Engaged in Learning (particularly in Years 9 and 10)
• Māori Language in Education (setting and resourcing priorities).

The fourth focus area recognises that organisational commitment to understanding the approach and implementing the goals and actions of Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success is essential. There is an emphasis on Organisational Success, primarily for the Ministry of Education and then for other education agencies with a flow on to the rest of the sector, to create a step up in the performance of the system for and with Māori.