Māori Children in Early Childhood: Pilot Study (2008)* :

Executive summary

This Education Review Office (ERO) report is based on the findings of a pilot study involving 16 early childhood services and one umbrella organisation undertaken as part of each service’s regular education review during Term 4, 2007.

The purpose of this evaluation was to investigate the extent to which early childhood services enabled Māori children to develop as competent and capable learners and the extent to which services recognised and responded to the aspirations and expectations of Māori children and their whānau. The evaluation also investigated the factors that influence Māori parents and whānau in the choice of an early childhood service for their children.

This pilot study givess preliminary information about the quality of early childhood services provision for Māori children and their families. It has also shown how provision may be reviewed in the future through a national evaluation.

The evaluation questions and key findings provide a useful frame of reference for self review in early childhood services.

Overview of key findings

In this evaluation ERO found that:

• in just over half the services Māori children had opportunities to develop as confident and competent learners through programmes that included aspects of te reo and tikanga Māori;
• in many services teachers and managers said that they treated all children the same, and that they did not have aspirations for Māori children that differed from those held for all children;
• most of the services included reference to Māori perspectives in documentation such as their philosophy statement and policies, although such intentions were not always reflected in day-to-day practice, programmes and routines;
• most services lacked a systematic approach to finding out about the aspirations of the parents and whānau of Māori children; and
• most services had not established adequate self-review processes to evaluate the effectiveness of their provision for Māori children.

Other relevant findings

The most common factors influencing parents and whānau in their choice of early childhood service related to the quality of the programme, standard of care, distance from home or work, the size of the group, fees charged, adult-child ratio, and availability of places. Other factors included a service’s provision for Māori children, its reputation, and recommendations from other parents.

Most of the parents identified learning and social development as priorities for their children’s early childhood education. They wanted their children to enjoy learning and to experience success and achievement. Many parents recognised the importance of early childhood experiences in preparing their child for school.

Although most parents and whānau said that they had opportunities for involvement in their children’s learning and in the running of the service, some said they would like greater involvement. Sharing of children’s work and activities through face-to-face contact and documented stories were the primary means of involving parents and whānau. Positive relationships were also important in strengthening parent involvement.

ERO found that some teachers lacked the confidence and competence to integrate te reo and tikanga Māori into their practice. This is an area for service managers to address through professional learning and development.

Most teachers and managers indicated that they had not yet developed ways of finding out about the hopes and expectations of parents and whānau of Māori children. This could be a useful first step in forming a partnership to promote positive learning outcomes for Māori children.