MEETING:
Māori Medium Advisory Group
DATE:
22 Here Turi Kōkā 2018
TIME:
10am − 2:30pm
VENUE:
Mātairangi Boardroom, Matatū Aotearoa Education Council
ATTENDEES:
Ripeka Lessels (Convenor and Governing Board member), Rita Powick, Tui
Rolleston, Dy Stirling, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Tatai Takuira-Mita
Hikitia Ropata (Manager Policy and Implementation), Leon Ellison (NARTAM
Relationship Adviser), Hannah Molloy (Project Coordinator), Mark Ballinger
(Policy Contractor), Craig Hil (ITE Adviser), Sally Macesmith (Board
Secretary)
AP0LOGIES:
Matthew Fraser, Wiremu Kaua, Evelyn Tobin
1. OPENING REMARKS
The hui began with a welcome to Leon El ison who would be the Council’s Relationship Adviser
to NARTAM.
2. HE KŌRERO WHAKAPUAKI
Rita provided an update on the review of Resource Teachers of Māori by the Ministry of
Education.
3. CODE/STANDARDS: What does good look like for Māori medium?
Hikitia provided the background of two policy changes the Council was preparing to implement:
1. Graduates from initial teacher education (ITE) programmes would be required to meet
the Standards (with support), and
2. Registration as a teacher, and subsequent practising certificate renewals, would
require a commitment to tangata whenuatanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership in
Aotearoa New Zealand as set out in the Standards for the Teaching Profession.
The Māori Medium Advisory Group (Group) was asked to consider what ‘good’ would look like
for meeting Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership standard (with support) and ongoing commitment to
that Standard. The Group was also asked about what support would be needed for professional
leaders in making judgments in appraisals regarding that Standard.
Hikitia talked about some anecdotal evidence from members of a range of working groups
about the need to ensure that kaiako also get the opportunities to continual y improve their
reo. This commitment and focus on te reo in appraisals across the system is intended to lift the
quality of te reo Māori and tikanga across the profession.
The Group agreed that what evidence looks like would be different between settings and what
meeting the Standard looked like would be contextual. Exemplars were a good idea but would
need to reflect different contexts. There was an opportunity to think about specific Māori
medium contexts and mechanisms to approach settings to develop them together.
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There was an acknowledgement that everyone was competing for finite resources so creative,
out of the box solutions would be needed to enable different models to continue.
Suggestions for support for kaiako and leaders included:
– courses or facilitated discussions for tumuaki to get them thinking about how their kura
could whakapakari their te reo me ngā tikanga Māori
– provide ideas or exemplars for evidence
– facilitate the sharing of practices (for example, Nōku Te Ao had developed a system to
track te reo me ngā tikanga progress for tamariki, whanau and kaiako. Though it is
specific to Nōku Te Ao, learnings could be shared)
– facilitate kura helping each other (for example, Te Aho Matua needs wānanga and
resourcing to do it. Kura could work together to develop exemplars)
– help tumuaki understand that the Council is not requiring extra mahi but asking them to
recognise the mahi (the development and progression) that kaiako already do.
The statement in the
Our Code, Our Standards document that Te Tiriti o Waitangi “provided a
place and a shape of governance for Pākehā in Aotearoa” is problematic and would be
reviewed when the document is to be updated/reprinted.
The Group expressed concern that the amount and level of te reo Māori in some ITE
programmes is not enough. In the proposed Requirements for ITE programmes the
expectations for te reo Māori and tikanga wil change and new requirements would also set
expectations for authentic partnerships with the profession and iwi/hapu.
The Group queried if there would be a specific level of te reo Māori for graduates and if there
were explicit expectations for delivery in te reo Māori.
Hikitia outlined some work that the Council had commissioned to develop an assessment
framework for graduates to meet the Standards (with support). Professor Graeme Aitken was
working with Hemi Dale and others on this piece of work. The Group discussed the potential for
a separate process for developing exemplars for the Māori medium sector, which could be
done in collaboration with the Group or perhaps Kura Kaupapa/Kura-ā-Iwi.
Action: Hikitia to confirm how MMAG can be involved in assessment framework development.
The Group were provided the dates and locations of the Code/Standards workshops for Māori
medium, so they could share them with their networks.
4. STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP
The Group identified and discussed Māori medium stakeholders that the Council should
include on its Stakeholder Map. This map would help form the Council’s stakeholder
engagement strategy.
The Group discussed the difficulties with cal ing national hui for the sector. There was a
concern that building a pathway, from Kōhanga to ITE, cannot be done in isolation and without
talking to each other.
5. EDUCATION COUNCIL UPDATES
The Group received an update on the Education (Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand)
Amendment Bil which seeks to change the name of the Council and change the governance
structure to six appointed and seven elected members on the Board. The Group agreed that a
name change was not a good use of tax payer money.
The Group received an update on the consultation on ITE Programme Approval Requirements.
The Group agreed more feedback from principals was needed as they are the ones employing
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beginning teachers. In addition, Māori Medium representation in previous consultations has
been limited, the group raised the question of how to engage those kura that aren’t actively
using social media channels – is there a way to bring people together to discuss.
Action: Send links to ITE Programme Approval Requirements consultation document and online
survey.
The Group received an update on the implementation of the Registration and Certification
Policy. Following on from the conversation in the morning, the Group discussed support for
Māori medium for appraisal specifically regarding the commitment to develop te reo me ngā
tikanga Māori.
The Group expressed the need for equity of support provided to Māori medium.
Action: Send the new practising certificate names to the Group for further feedback.
6. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
Hikitia gave a brief update on the Council’s work with Te Kōhanga Reo and NZQA regarding
pathways to registration for kaiako.
7. CLOSING REMARKS
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Document Outline
