News

Dc  Ws  Rangatahi

Listening to Rangatahi Māori

Posted on 11 December, 2015

https://kep.org.nz/news/2015/listening-to-rangatahi-māori

58 schools from Kaitaia to Invercargill met over nine days

At the end of term 4, members of the Kia Eke Panuku team collaborated with iwi and hapū to facilitate nine marae-based wānanga to listen to rangatahi Māori. Groups from 58 schools from Kaitaia to Invercargill met over nine days to discuss what Māori students enjoying and achieving education success as Māori meant from their own experiences.

Ngāti Tūwharetoa hosted the first of these wānanga on Nukuhau marae.

This was followed the next day in Tauranga Moana where Ngāi Tamarāwaho hosted us on Huria marae.

Moving to South Auckland we were hosted by Tainui on Pūkaki marae before travelling north to Whitiora marae at Te Tii. Finally that week Te Atiawa hosted our wānanga on Waiwhetu marae.

In the second week we held wānanga on Oākura marae beneath the maunga Taranaki and Ōmaka marae at Blenheim. Next we moved south to Tuahiwi marae where we were hosted by Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga. Our final wānanga was hosted by Awarua Rūnanga and held on Te Rau Aroha marae in the Bluff.

Hou kainga on each marae provided the tikanga to manaaki and provide cultural safety for us all.

For the whānau, teachers, Boards of Trustee members, Ministry staff and Kia Eke Panuku team it has been a humbling, inspiring and moving experience to hear what rangatahi were prepared to share with us in these cultural settings.

Students, too, expressed their thanks for the opportunity to meet with their peers and be heard. This was an experience that we will all take into our holidays.

Resources from these wānanga will become available in term one of next year.

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Dc  Gen  Kahui  Whakaako

Kāhui Whakaako

Posted on 11 December, 2015

https://kep.org.nz/news/2015/kahui-whakaako

He iti kōpara pioi ana te tihi o te kahikatea

This group of leaders from eight schools makes up one of two advisory groups in Kia Eke Panuku. These schools have all been highly effective in enabling Māori students to enjoy and achieve educational success as Māori. The name establishes this as a group (kāhui) who wish to contribute to and engage in on-going learning (whakaako). This establishes them as a platform for spreading support to other schools in delivering the kaupapa of Ka Hikitia.

Bruce Ritchie, ex-Principal of Massey High School, chairs the Kāhui Whakaako.

Schools currently in this group include:

  • William Colenso College
  • Flaxmere College
  • Queen Charlotte College
  • Kerikeri High School
  • Rotorua Boys’ High School
  • James Hargest College
  • Naenae College
  • Kelston Girls' College

Their first meeting identified increasing literacy achievement as a priority for their attention. This resulted in a literacy network being established to trial the sharing of resources and information across schools.

At a second meeting, held this November, the group agreed that the resources developed to date had greatly increased understandings and clarified what schools need to do. A take home message was that, although Kia Eke Panuku has seen some short term advances, the kaupapa demands a long term and ongoing commitment.

This meeting was attended by a member of the Academic Experts group, Professor Wally Penetito, who shared with us the following whakataukī:

He iti kōpara pioi ana te tihi o te kahikatea
The little bellbird alighting on the tip of the kahikatea (can cause it to sway)

Professor Penetito likened Kia Eke Panuku to he iti kōpara causing the kahikatea (the school system) to sway. Indeed, a message for us all to live up to.

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Dc  Gen  Woman Hands Talking

Piloting a literacy resource network

Posted on 11 December, 2015

https://kep.org.nz/news/2015/piloting-a-literacy-resource-network

Piloting ideas in Wellington

It is understood that there are still many Māori students in our schools who will need support to accelerate their literacy skills if they are to achieve sufficient credits for NCEA.

Recently staff from the Kahui Whakaako schools met in Wellington to pilot ideas aimed at accelerating literacy learning across Kia Eke Panuku schools.


In order to promote conditions for accelerating literacy learning in classrooms it was proposed that three contexts, that worked simultaneously, were essential. The first of these contexts - deliberate professional acts of literacy - should overlay a context of culturally responsive and relational pedagogy together with home, school and community engagement focused on literacy learning.

Evidence from each of the separate contexts in this 1 + 1 + 1 model provided a compelling argument for this inter-related contextual model.

  • Each person shared literacy strategies that could be used in DPAs across the curriculum. The two Connections and Collaborations eBooks which are aimed at reading and writing strategies, and the Connecting with Māori Communities eBook, were also considered.
  • These strategies are all being collated and will be iteratively made available on this website during term 1.

The initial Literacy Network Kete can be viewed here or from a link on the Literacy, Te Reo Māori, and Numeracy Dimension page. There are direct links from both the “Resources” page and the “Dimensions” drop down menu.

To accelerate literacy learning, we consider that this 1+1+1 model has merits. However, we also understand that we will need greater alignment and spread between the Kia Eke Panuku activities and how these are being understood and measured. While this pilot was successful, the question remains how else can we all contribute and support each other in this work throughout 2016? Wānanga 4 will provide our first collective opportunity.

See also

  • the Literacy, te Reo and Numeracy brochure in the Dimensions section of the site
    Click to view:
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Dc  News Girls Performing

Acting as a mirror

Posted on 11 December, 2015

https://kep.org.nz/news/2015/acting-as-a-mirror

“I have been very inspired and learned a lot”

Recently Kia Eke Panuku staff received a link to a presentation prepared by staff and students at Matamata College to share what their experiences in Kia Eke Panuku have been like.

The photography attested to the bicultural makeup of the students with Māori students enjoying and achieving education success in a wide range of cultural, sporting and academic activities. Teachers also talked about their experiences.

I have been very inspired and learned a lot,” said one.

Another said:

Kia Eke Panuku has built really well on our past programmes where we have focussed on building relationships with students…”

Now he believes they are learning what to do once the learning relationships are established. Amongst other things they have a student-mentoring programme and are using evidence more to drive their practice and move forward.

Teachers are also changing their classroom pedagogy through the use of classroom observations.

I really like the observational tool… I’ve got a lot of buy-in for this tool because you co-construct the next steps… the observer acts as a mirror for you, rather than just having to provide advice. I think it’s really powerful.

The team recently undertook Rongohia te Hau. Once the data gathering is completed it will be triangulated to gain a picture of the progress they have made in implementing culturally responsive pedagogy over this year.


Matamata College staff talked about being really excited about where Kia Eke Panuku is going to take them and Māori students certainly exemplified the benefits and success of their work.

A link to to the Matamata presentation can be found here.

Key resources:

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