Success as Maori
Strategies to do this:
1: relationship relationship relationship
2: Actively valuing and seeking to understand where people where coming from and why
3: Having the concept in my head that each child brought with them a treasure of culture, experiences and understanding, an incredible resource that would enrich that classroom as a place of learning and interaction
· To me Māori achieving educational success as Māori means that tamariki are given opportunities to celebrate, share and participate in their cultural uniqueness! I ngā wā o mua, our ancestors would identify strengths and interests in tamariki and that would become their pathway forward. Their education would be based on what they showed potential in and what they showed interest in e.g. hunting and gathering kai, kaikōrero, the art of becoming a warrior, ringawera, manaaki tangata, karanga weaving, kōwhaiwhai, tukutuku etc etc. In a new world and in a new education system, the challenge before us as educators and schools is to provide contexts where Māori tamariki can tap into their innate potential and strengths, participate 'as Māori' and then feel successful in their 'Māori education'. Some key ingredients need to surround the tamaiti in order for this to be successful. Te Ao Māori - tikanga Māori, Te Reo Māori, whānau, iwi/hapū, kawa, ako, tuakana/teina to mention a few. A few suggestions for how Schools might be able to accommodate such learning: pōwhiri and mihi whakatau where Māori tamariki are able to actively lead and/or participate, kai (traditional kai gathering and preparing practices), kapahaka, mau rakau and taiaha, karanga (where appropriate), whaikōrero, mihimihi, manu kōrero, manaaki tangata: greeting manuhiri, preparing kai, mihi etc, karakia, waiata, hīmine, learning Te Reo Māori, whakapapa, placed based education: learning about the local place and iwi surrounding the kura. For me if Māori tamariki are able to participate in their own culture, know that it is cherished and valued by those around them and also feel able and successful whilst they are participating and sharing their culture with others, this is Māori achieving educational success as Māori. When a tamaiti feels safe, valued, strong, confident and connected in Te Ao Māori, this in turn allows them to be conducive to learning in all other areas. It's not just about being 'inclusive' to the Māori culture, it's about valuing and 'responding' to the whole child, their cultural needs, their emotional needs, their physical needs and their academic needs. The essence of this is relationships and the research has clearly shown that relationships have the biggest impact on educational success for Māori. Relationships that are strong and reciprocal in nature and that extend past the teacher-student relationship and incorporate whānau, iwi/hapū and all those that the tamaiti is connected to.
Māori enjoying educational success as Māori - To me this is about cherishing what our Māori children carry with them all of the time. In some cases our Māori children may not even know what that means for themselves. It's about having a second thought about what a child brings into any learning environment other than just their physical body and chatty mouth. Our tamariki carry and are a part of whakapapa, our reo, tikanga and wairua - Deep terms that carry deep meanings. I have recently been enlightened by a dear friend ‘B’ who explains these terms really well and describes them as being non-negotiables for us as Māori. These are things that I cherish and have learnt about throughout the years of my life...and believe me I'm still on my learning journey. Our tamariki need to know where they come from - Whakapapa is not just about people but it is about the origins of all things. Our reo is not just about speaking in the Māori language - Our reo allows us to express ourselves in different ways and to think about and see things from different perspectives. Tikanga to me is a way of holding on to what we feel is the right way of doing things. Our tikanga stems from traditions and can at times be confusing...but it is the experiences and the actions that we learn from. Wairua encompasses our wider being – when working with our tamariki we need to acknowledge that there is more to a child than meets the eye.
Phoebe Davis shares an awesome ed talk about 2 key elements for raising Māori student achievement - forming relationships with students and whānau and about being culturally located. Phoebe shares different examples in her discussion but another example of this (my whole yarn) in action is where a friend recently described being in awe of the oratory skills of the young speakers at a Manu Kōrero competition. Now for all of our talkative young Māori who are good at sharing speeches or speaking in general...there may be some other things to consider...Maybe those students come from a line of great orators. This creates an opportunity to share a second thought...rather than just seeing the students sharing their speeches...see them carrying the knowledge or traits of their tūpuna. It's an opportunity to speak directly to those students about those possibilities...an opening for discussion....forming connections...."I wonder if your ancestors were great orators?" "Maybe you ....maybe we....should look into that...ask someone from your family, do a bit of research"...Maybe the students already know of orators in their families...it's a way in, a way to communicate...a way to form or embrace a relationship...being culturally responsive and acknowledging potential ...having a second thought, third thought.... and sharing those thoughts directly.
What is Maori achieving success
What is Māori achieving success as Māori? | What changes does your school need to make? | School stories | Resources and research
What is Māori achieving success as Māori?
"As Māori [means] being able to have access to te ao Māori, the Māori world – access to language, culture, marae… tikanga... and resources... If after twelve or so years of formal education, a Māori youth were totally unprepared to interact within te ao Māori, then, no matter what else had been learned, education would have been incomplete."
Professor Mason Durie, (2003). Ngā Kahui Pou: Launching Māori Futures. Huia Publications.
Accessed from: Effective governance Supporting education success as Māori: Information for school boards of trustees 2013
Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013–2017 is the Government's strategy to rapidly change how education performs so that all Māori students gain the skills, qualifications, and knowledge they need to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori.
When the vision is realised, all Māori students will:
· have their identity, language and culture valued and included in teaching and learning in ways that support them to engage and achieve success
· know their potential and feel supported to set goals and take action to achieve success
· experience teaching and learning that is relevant, engaging, rewarding and positive
· have gained the skills, knowledge and qualifications they need to achieve success in te ao Māori, New Zealand and the wider world.
Ako: Knowledge
Whakawhanaungatanga: Enthusiastic
Aroha: Empathetic
Manaakitanga: Nurturing
Te Awa aims to develop a progression from "Deficit behaviours" to "Highly responsive behaviours" in relation to the five cultural competencies of Tātaiako (ako, whanaungatanga, tangata whenuatanga, manaakitanga, and wānanga).
Taking an inclusive approach, considering students' cultural backgrounds, and incorporating te reo Māori across the school curriculum has impacted on student learning.