Strategic Change Leadership Teams had an opportunity at Wānanga 4 to preview an upcoming series of resources arising from the Hui Whakaako held late last year.
These hui stretched from Whitiora Marae in the Far North to Te Rau Aroha at Bluff, and involved young people from 64 of our Kia Eke Panuku schools.
Under the mantle of protection afforded by the marae, the thoughts (ngā huatau) of these young people (taiohi) ebbed and flowed. These thoughts were captured on tape, transcribed and common themes across the Hui Whakaako began to emerge.
The Ngā Taiohi Huatau resources provide an insight into how senior Māori students interpret the Ka Hikitia phrase Māori enjoying and achieving success as Māori in relation to their own experiences and successes.
Strategic change leaders viewing the draft resources were captivated by the clarity and thoughtfulness of the students. Their words provoked animated discussion about the implications for current practice and how the resources might be employed as a catalyst for further action.
Initial responses identified the potential of these new tools to accelerate the spread of reform through opening up new conversations; between schools and students, between teina and tuakana, and between schools, students and whānau.
Common themes across the resources include:
- being able to resist the negative stereotypes about being Māori
- being strong in your Māori cultural identity
- having Māori culture and values celebrated at school
- knowing the strength of working together and
- being able to contribute to the success of others
It’s being able to walk in te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā. I can be successful academically but also pupuri ki aku tikanga (to hold on to our cultural customs and practices) and be humble, above all hold on to te reo Māori, it’s what makes us unique, it’s what makes us Māori
- excerpt from Ngā Huatau Taiohi
The consistency of the commentary, from one marae to the next, attests to the legitimacy of these messages.
In reading them we are challenged to consider our own response to their voices and how we might ensure all Māori students are able to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori.
The resources will be in schools early in term two and further analysis of Ngā Huatau Taiohi will be available on this website soon after.