Despite New Zealand’s founding document Te Tiriti o Waitangi to which there is an English and Maori version there remains just one Treaty (difference in wording/language used). The Treaty outlines that the colonists were to protect Maori interests from colonial settlements, allow for New Zealand to be colonised with a foreign settlement and the establishment of a New Zealand government by the English Monarchy while the Maori version outlined that the English Monarchy would establish a government while giving Maori independence and ownership of their land.
The New Zealand Curriculum that underpins each schools localised curriculum. Within this document there are 8 key principles of which cultural diversity is one. These key principles embody beliefs about what is important and desirable in school curriculum. Cultural diversity is one of these key principles and schools localised curriculum should reflect New Zealand’s cultural diversity and value the histories and traditions of all its people. Each individual school’s curriculum should necessitate culturally responsive that includes strategic plans for the use of Tataiako- competencies for teachers of Maori students and Tapasa- effective teaching for teachers of pasifika in order to support teachers practice in cultural responsive practice that is beneficial to all learners (MOE 2019).
Te Wharaki (2017) is the New Zealand Early childhood guiding document and essentially promote that every learner is different, with cultural blessings and with inherent capabilities. The central part of this document is the affirmation of the Treaty of Waitangi as Maori, as Tanagata Whneua and solidifies the importance of self, community, and culture of every learner.
What we need to consider is the changing face of New Zealand. While biculturalism is an essential part there is a need to recognise the increase of foreign learners coming into our schooling system. In The Education Review Office (ERO’s) (2018) diversity report, ERO identified that schools in New Zealand’s biggest city had an increase in foreign learners to now have over 100 ethnicities and 150 languages spoken. The report identified key indicators of highly effective schools that were able to demonstrate successful culturally responsive practice:
· Acknowledged the learner’s home languages
· Developed relationships with the learners, parents and communities
· Celebrated cultural events
· Had some pedagogical knowledge about teaching English as a second language
· Observed learners to inform their teachers judgements.
Schools that were not culturally responsive had a lack of planning for success of their students an omission of the cultures within their school strategic planning- learners were expected to fit into the school.
Cultural responsiveness within my own school is recognising the new cultures at Te Awa School. Looking back over the years our school consisted of roll between 80% Maori, 16% or 17% Pakeha and around 3% Pasifika students and 1 or 2 students from other ethnicities. Over the last 2 years we have noted a roll increase specifically of our Pacifika students and currently our school ethnicity make up is 19% Pakeha, Maori 69%, Pasifika 8.5% and 3.5% of Asian descent. The key performance indicators that Board of Trustees are currently working on are aligned with Ministry guidelines:
· Incorporate all cultures within our school community into our Charter
· Celebrate cultural diversity
· Teachers understand individual students’ cultures
· All students’ cultures are visible in their learning environments
· Teachers provide opportunities for learners to lead learning with their culture and allow for learning about cultures in their classroom.
One of the challenges I face is consistency: how do I make sure these things are happening throughout the school? Classrooms have observations each term that closely looks at the environment, topics, student achievement, use of te reo Maori, pronunciations, targeted students, relationships with students and whanau engagement. However, teachers have an open mindset, it’s my Liberian, office manager, caretaker, teacher aides and at times BOT members that have that closed mindset. For example, a support staff member that has been at the school for 37 years who constantly goes on about the old days when the school didn’t have so many Maori’s and it didn’t matter that you cant pronounce the students name properly or the office lady who refuses to answer the phone with Kia ora or Morena because its unprofessional. These are my daily battles.
Evaluates Supporting Teacher Confidence and Perceived Competence in Relation to Culturally-Responsive Pedagogy Utilising Communities of Learning Kāhui Ako
Community of Learning Kahui Ako were introduced with the aim of raising student achievement by promoting collaboration between schools. Kahui Ako are seen as a tool for shifting professional ethics and a driver of change in how teachers taught by promoting shared professional development that was aimed at upskilling teacher pedagogy that lead to raised student engagement and achievement at school.
An effective Kahui Ako was described by Timperley, Wilson, Barr and Fung (2007)was a community of learners who were supported to gain new knowledge and understanding and how this could be transferred into their teaching and where teachers focused on analysing the impact that it had on the students.
Teachers, senior leaders and school management were challenged to identify the barriers to student’s achievement and through the inquiry model to design effective practices and then embed these across the community of schools with the overall aim to shift teachers practice and improve student outcomes with the collective goal of equity and excellence across all schools.
There is ample research that identify Maori as being disproportionately represented as low-achieving learners in New Zealand. ERO (2016) states that the “primary purpose of Communities of Learning Kahui Ako was to achieve outcomes for those who have been under-served by the system, particularly Maori and Pacific students, this means an unyielding focus on accelerating achievement” (p. 20). Kahui Ako ideology supported the Government already established Ka Hikatia- Accelerating Success 2013-2017 (Ministry of Education, 2008) which addressed and recognised the underservice provided to Maori learners. Working along side teachers schools could focus un making sustained system-wide change that brought about a change in teacher mindset through a collective responsibility, collaborative inquiry model and desire to accelerate achievement for Maori students in an equitable approach.
This paper looks from the perspective of ACT and supports the notion that teachers working within a Kahui Ako are able to benefit from Kahui Ako inquiry model and as a collective and have gained confidence and built relationships with students. This article supports other literature that there is a benefit when teachers work collaboratively to raise student outcomes and that Kahui Ako have a positive impact on teachers and enables explicit use of Kaupapa Maori principals driving sustainable change.
However what does it look like in a Kahui Ako that is not performing well. Yes I support the notion of upskilling all teachers through professional development and the need to ensure Universities are equipping our future teachers with the skills to have a mindset that empowers them to deliver equitable outcomes for all. But unfortunately not all schools are in a high performing or successful Kahui Ako.
Definition of Culturally Responsive Practice
A set of practices and methods that support students’ learning identity through connections among curriculum, community, and culture
Where students have a voice and can see their culture in the curriculum and instruction while being encourage to maintain it.