He Mātaitanga o te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau: Te Wharekura o Manurewa, i Manurewa
Te Horopaki o te Rangahau
E tū ana Te Wharekura o Manurewa ki te marae o Manurewa, ki Tāmaki-makau-rau. Ka whakarato rātou i te mātauranga ki ngā ākonga o ngā tau 9 ki te 13 me ō rātou whānau, mā ngā tikanga whakaaro o Te Aho Matua. E 37 ngā ākonga o te wharekura, ā, he Māori rātou katoa. Tokowhitu ngā kaiako.
E mahi ana te whānau o te wharekura ki te taha o Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manurewa mā te hanganga kāwana i whakatōpūngia ai, hei whakarato i te mātauranga paparōnaki, i te mātauranga Te Aho Matua ki ngā ākonga o ngā Tau 1 ki te 6, te 7 ki te 10, me te 11 ki te 13. E mahi ngātahi ana ngā kura me te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga ki te hūnuku wāhi, ā, hei te tau 2022 e takunetia ai.
He nui ngā tūmanako i roto i ngā paetae ākonga. Ka kitea te ngākau titikaha o ngā ākonga, me ō rātou pūmanawa ki te ārahi, puta noa i te whānuitanga o ngā tūmomo horopaki. E poipoia ana ngā ākonga ki tētahi taiao e ahu mai ana i ngā uara me ngā whakapono tuku iho o te ao Māori. E mōhio ana rātou, ko ō rātou hononga ā-whakapapa i roto i te tāone nui, he mea nui ki ō rātou whānau.
Pērā i ngā kura rumaki reo Māori katoa, ko te reo Māori te reo whakaako. Ko te whāinga matua o Te Aho Matua, kia tū pakari, kia tū rangatira ngā ākonga katoa hei raukura mō ō rātou iwi. Ko ngā tikanga whakaaro o Te Aho Matua mō te whakaako me te ako, ka ahu mai i te rongomaiwhiti, i te motuhake hoki o ngā uara me ngā whakapono e whai ake nei:
Ka hāngai Te Tino Uaratanga o Te Aho Matua ki:
- Te Ira Tangata – kia whakawhanake te ākonga i tōna oranga ā-tinana, ā-wairua, ā-hinengaro hoki, i tōna mōhio ki tōna mana āhua ake, ā, i te mātau, i te whakaute hoki ki a ia anō, ki ētahi atu
- Te Reo Māori - kia mātau te ākonga ki te whakaaro, ki te kōrero, ki te pānui, me te tuhi i roto i te reo Māori me te reo Tauiwi
- Ngā Iwi - kia mau tūhonohono te here o te ihomatua o te ākonga ki ōna mātua tūpuna, ā, ki ngā tūmanako me ngā wawata hoki o te whānau, te hapū, me te iwi
- Te Ao - kia mōhio te ākonga ki ngā tirohanga moroki me ngā tirohanga tuku iho o te ao Māori, o te ao whānui, o te ao tūroa, o tōna nā ao tonu
- Āhuatanga Ako - E whakaihiihia ana te hinengaro o te ākonga ki tētahi taiao e āta poipoi ana i te ako.
Nō te Hōngongoi o te tau 2021 te rōpū rangahau i toro atu ai ki Te Wharekura o Manurewa, ā, i kōrero tahi rātou ki ngā tāngata tokoono – he kaiārahi, he kaiako hoki o te reo matatini me te pāngarau ki te kura, hei āta kapo atu i ā rātou tirohanga.
Ngā Kitenga: Te Reo Matatini
Te angitu mō ngā ākonga o Te Reo Matatini
E ai ki ngā kaiako me ngā kaiārahi o tēnei wharekura, ko te tohu o te angitu ki a rātou i roto i te reo matatini me Te Reo Rangatira, ko te wā e tino aro nui ana ngā ākonga, e tino ngākau titikaha ana hoki rātou i roto i te kaupapa, ā, he pērā anō hoki ō rātou ngākau titikaha i roto i te reo ā-waha me te reo tuhituhi o te reo Pākehā. Nā rātou anō i miramira, he mea nui te whakamihi i ngā whakatutukitanga, me te whakatutukitanga o ngā whiwhinga i roto i ngā reo e rua, nō te mea, e tika ana kia mātau ngā raukura ki te reo Pākehā i te wā e rapu mahi ana rātou, e whakawhiti atu ana rānei ki te whare wānanga. He mea nui ki te wharekura nei te eke angitu o ngā ākonga i roto i ngā reo e rua.
“kei te haere ngātahi te reo Māori me te reo Ingarihi”– te reo o te Kaiako
“acknowledge there are two pathways to get literacy. Ka puta rātou ki te ao, ka kimi mahi, ka tuku ngā CV me kite kei te mōhio te reo Māori. We have a boy who wants to join the army, and he has been told he needs Level 2 English credits – so he is working hard [to gain these].” – te reo o te Kaiako
Ko ngā āhuatanga e whai wāhi atu ai ki aua tūāhuatanga o te angitu, ko ērā e hāngai ana ki te aronga ake ki te tuitui anō hoki i te mātauranga Māori, tae atu hoki ki ngā horopaki e mōhiotia ana, e aro nuitia ana hoki e ngā ākonga; ko te whakarato i ngā akoranga ā-ringa; ko te āta whakarite kia whai mana ai ngā reo o ngā ākonga, kia whai wāhi atu ai hoki ō rātou whakaaro ki ngā mahere; me te koutata i te marautanga i tuituia kia whai hua ai. Kei te eke ngā ākonga o tēnei kura ki tua atu i ngā tūmanako nā te auaha me te rauhanga o ngā kaiako. Ka whakamahere ngātahi ngā kaiako me ngā ākonga mā ngā tohutohu o te Maramataka i ngā kaupapa mīharo pērā i a Matariki me te taka kai. E ai ki ngā kaiako me ngā kaiārahi, “pāngarau is very strong here”, ā, ka ngākau nui ngā ākonga ki te ako.
Mō ētahi o ngā ākonga ki tēnei wharekura, he uaua te pāngarau, ā, ki tō ngā kaiako whakaaro, e pēnei ana nā te mea kāhore i te rawaka ngā rauemi e tika ana i roto i te reo Māori. Ki tā ngā kaiako, tērā te kaha rangirua ka pupū ake i ētahi wā mō ngā ākonga, nā te whakaako mā te reo Māori me te whai atu i ngā pukamahi reo Pākehā mō ngā taumahi. Tāpiri atu ki tēnā, e ai ki ngā kaiako, ko te whakapāwerawera me ngā horopaki o ngā whakamātautau o waho ka kaupare ake anō i te eke angitu o ngā ākonga i roto i te pāngarau. I mua, kua rongo ngā ākonga o te wharekura nei i te mānukanuka me te mataku i a rātou e mahi ana i ā rātou whakamātautau o waho ki wāhi kē atu, arā, kāhore i tō rātou ake taiao ako, engari kē, ki te kura tuarua o Manurewa.
“He ao anō a Manurewa High. Kei te mataku ngā tauira.” – te reo o te Kaiako
He aha te whakaratonga o Te Reo Matatini i tēnei wā?
Kei te māramahia e ngā kaiako me ngā kaiārahi, he mea nui te whai pānga, te whai pūtake, me te noho tūturu hoki o ngā kaupapa ako mā ngā ākonga i roto i te whakaratonga o te reo matatini. Hei tauira, i roto i tētahi aromatawai, ka whiriwhiri ngā ākonga i ngā waiata e whai pānga ana ki a rātou mō ā rātou tuhituhi.
“we [completed] a tuhituhi [assessment] based on a song of essence. So, they chose songs from Tupac and Bob Marley. [That is] my measure of success.” – te reo o te Kaiako
Ka mahi ngātahi ngā kaiako me ā rātou ākonga i tēnei kura, ki te whakamahere me te whakariterite i ngā akoranga o te pāngarau. Kei te mārama ngā kaiako, he mea nui kia whai reo, kia whai wāhi mai hoki ngā ākonga. I wānanga tētahi o ngā kaiako ki ngā ākonga, ki te whakawhiti kōrero me te whakatau i te kiko o ngā kaupapa ako mō te wāhanga ka whai ake. Nā tēnei, he nui te whai wāhi atu, he nui hoki te pārekareka o ngā ākonga, ā, i whai pānga anō hoki aua tūāhuatanga ki ngā taumata angitu i whakatutukihia ai e ngā ākonga.
Ko taua tirohanga ki te angitu o te ākonga, e whakakōroiroitia ana e te kaha auraki rawa o ngā tauira whakaakoranga me te waihanga o ngā rauemi. Ki tā ngā kaiako me ngā kaiārahi i āta meatia ai, ko ngā tūmanako i te marautanga me ngā rauemi, kei te kaha whai pānga nui rawa ki te tirohanga auraki, tae atu hoki ki te kaha auraki anō hoki o ngā mahi aromatawai. Ki tā tētahi kaiārahi i whakamārama ai:
“I think the paradigm is wrong. If we really value Māori mātauranga we need to move out of a Eurocentric model.” – te reo o te Kaiārahi
Ko ngā wawata o te kura i tautuhia ai e ngā kaiako me ngā kaiārahi, e hāngai pū ana ki te whakarato i te maha ake o ngā rauemi whai kounga o te reo matatini i āta whakapūmautia ai ki te mātauranga Māori. Ki tā taua kaiārahi tonu, “My point is we should be looking at Māori-centric qualifications.” Ko tētahi atu wawata kia whakaatuhia ngā whiwhinga o te reo matatini hei whiwhinga reo Pākehā, hei whiwhinga reo Māori hoki, i te mea e whakaatu noatia ana i tēnei wā hei Whiwhinga Reo Matatini Whānui. E ai ki ngā kaiako, kāhore taua āhuatanga e āta whakamana ana i ngā kaupapa ako nei.
He aha ngā āhuatanga e tika ana mō te whakapuakitanga o te kounga kairangi o ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga o te reo matatini?
I whakaae ngā kaiako me ngā kaiārahi katoa, me whiwhi i ngā rauemi, i te whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio hoki e tika ana, e whai pānga ana ki te whakapuakitanga o ngā hōtaka whakaako me ngā hōtaka akoranga o te kounga kairangi.
I kī ngā kaiako, kāhore rātou i whakapā atu ki te whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio nā te mea, kāhore he whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio e whai pānga ana ki te reo matatini/Te Reo Rangatira. Engari, kua uru mai ētahi kaitohutohu mātanga o te reo Pākehā, ā, i meatia ai he āhuatanga tēnei i whai hua ai ki ētahi o ngā kaiako.
Ko ētahi o ngā tū rauemi i whakamahia ai i te whakaratonga o te reo matatini, ko ngā kohinga pukapuka o te Wharekura me Te Tautoko; ko Ngā Kete Kōrero; ko He Kohinga Kīwaha; ko Te Kete Ipurangi; me Te Kura. I whakamāramahia e tētahi o ngā kaiako, ka toro atu hoki ki ngā pūrākau i ngā wā e taea ana, pērā i a “…Māui me te Rā – I love pūrākau and the kids love pūrākau.” Heoi anō rā, i te nuinga o te wā, he ruarua noa ngā rauemi e hāngai pū ana hei whakamahinga mā ngā kaiako, nō reira, ka tahuri atu rātou ki te waihanga i ā rātou ake rauemi:
“Kāore e rahi ngā rauemi. Mā mātou anahe ngā rauemi e hangaia. Ko ngā mea e hanga ana e hāngai pū ana ki te ao o te tamariki. Rātou nō konei – Te Tonga o Tamaki Makaurau” – te reo o te Kaiako
“We have been doing this since Hoani Waititi started and nothing has changed. It’s taxing on the kaiako to teach and produce the resources.” – te reo o te Kaiako
E ai ki tētahi kaiako, “We stumble along with what we have got.” E miramira ana tēnei, e tika ana kia tautokona ake hei āta whakanui ake i ngā putanga ako, ā, hei āta whakatau i te noho rite o ngā kaiako me ngā ākonga mō ngā taumata o Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea. Ki tā te titiro a ngā kaiako me ngā kaiārahi, ka pēnei mā ngā whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio me ngā rauemi i whakahāngaitia ai, e whai pūtake ake ai, ā, e noho pū ana ki te ao Māori me te mātauranga Māori. Me hāngai pū aua whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio me aua rauemi o te reo matatini ki te aromatawai, ki ngā mahere me ngā kōwae, me te whānuitanga tonu o ngā tūmanako marau.
Ngā Kitenga: Pāngarau
He pēhea rawa te āhua o te angitu mō ngā ākonga i roto i te pāngarau?
I aro nui ngā kaiako ki te kōrero, ko te tohu o te angitu i roto i te pāngarau, ko te waiaro papai o ngā ākonga me tō rātou ngākau titikaha, tō rātou ngākau nui hoki ki te whai wāhi atu ki te kaupapa. Ki tā rātou titiro, ko ngā āhuatanga matua e whakawhanake ai i aua tūāhuatanga, ko te aronga ako ā-ringa, ko te tuitui i te mātauranga Māori, ko tētahi marau ā-kura pāhekoheko, ā, ko te auaha me ngā pūmanawa hoki o ngā kaiako (kua whakaraupapahia ki raro iho nei).
He aha te whakaratonga o te pāngarau i tēnei wā?
Ko te whakaratonga o te pāngarau i tēnei wā ki Te Wharekura o Manurewa, e arotahi ana ki Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea, otirā, i te nuinga o te wā mā ngā pukapuka kaupapa reo Pākehā e whakapuakihia ana mā te reo Māori.
“We use Pākehā textbooks, but I deliver in te reo Māori.” – te reo o te Kaiako
He tino uaua ki te whakamahi i te pukapuka kaupapa reo Pākehā me te whakapuaki mā te reo Māori, ā, ki tō te whakaaro, e whakawhāiti ana i te wāhi huatanga o te whakapuakitanga o te pāngarau. Ka whai wāhi hoki ki taua āhuatanga, kāhore i te rawaka i tēnei wā ngā rauemi pāngarau i roto i te reo Māori, ā, ka pā taua tūāhuatanga ki te āhua o te whakaako i te kaupapa, puta noa i te kura. E ai ki tētahi kaiako, “There is no common approach to teaching pāngarau [from] kura teina to wharekura. We talk about building the foundation but korekau he papa.”
Pērā i ngā whakawhitinga kōrero e pā ana ki Te Reo Matatini, ka āta rongo i te hiahia o ngā kaiako kia “more Māori-centric” te āhua tonu o te marautanga o te pāngarau. E ai ki tētahi o ngā kaiārahi mō tēnei tūāhuatanga, “This is much the same kōrero for te reo matatini”. Heoi, i kōrero hoki ngā kaiako mō te whai huatanga o te papakupu o Te Reo Pāngarau mō ā rātou whakaakoranga.
Waihoki, kua whakawhanakehia e ngā kaiako me te wharekura whānui tonu ngā huarahi auaha ki te whakaako i te pāngarau, hei poipoi i te tangongitanga o ngā tūmomo tāera ako, ā, e toro atu ai i te ao Māori. Hei tauira, i whakamāramahia e ngā kaiako te kaupapa e kīia ana ko ‘Ngā Hua Ako’ i whakatōpū ai i ngā tūāhuatanga o te pūtaiao, o te pūkaha, me te pāngarau. I hāngai ngā taumahi ki te whakahoahoa me te hanga i ngā pouaka māra mā ngā amohanga rākau, me te whakatupu kai. I hangaia ngā pouaka e ngā tamariki i roto i te roanga o te wiki, ā, nā ia kāhui o te wharekura ā rātou ake pouaka māra. Ko tā ngā tamariki mahi, he whakamākūkūngia ā rātou tupu ki te wai, he ngaki, he tiaki hoki i ngā pouaka māra, ā, i whakahāngaitia hoki te wā whakatō ki a Matariki. I whai hua taua aronga ki ngā tama o te wharekura, ā, ki tā tētahi o ngā kaiako i whakamārama ai:
“Ko te mea nui ki ngā tama ko te whakawhanaungatanga, ko te tutu hoki.” – te reo o te Kaiako
Ki tā ngā kaiako titiro, koia nei he tauira o te whakatinanatanga o te marau ā-kura pāhekoheko i ahu mai hoki i ngā mātauranga Māori:
“E hāngai pū ana ki te Maramataka, ki a Matariki hoki. It’s not only about folders and reports. We spend a whole week building four [of them]. We already have four orders.” – te reo o te Kaiako
I whakamārama hoki ngā kaiako i tētahi kaupapa hono maitai i whai pānga ai anō hoki ki te pāngarau me te tuhituhi, hei āhuatanga tonu o te marau pāhekoheko:
“We have just started building a 12v battery connected to a motor. When the tamariki can [build] it they can maybe build something to put the motor on.” – te reo o te Kaiako
He aha ngā āhuatanga e tika ana mō te whakapuakitanga o te kounga kairangi o ngā whakaakoranga me ngā akoranga o te pāngarau?
Pērā anō hoki i te reo matatini, ki tā ngā kaiako titiro, e tika ana te whiwhi wawe i ngā rauemi me te whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio e whai pānga ana, e wāhi pūtake ana hoki, hei whakapuaki i ngā hōtaka whakaako me ngā hōtaka akoranga o te kounga kairangi.
He mārakerake ngā kōrero a ngā kaiako pāngarau, he iti noa rawa atu te whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio e pā ana ki te pāngarau, ā, kāhore e riterite ana, kāhore rānei e āta rurukutia ana:
“[There is] a lack of resources… I haven’t seen anything in 20 years for Levels 1-3.” – te reo o te Kaiako
“[There is] pretty much nothing – bits and pieces here and there, nothing consistent. Not coordinated.” – te reo o te Kaiārahi
Kua hono atu ētahi kaiako ki te Auckland Maths Association, engari ki tō rātou whakaaro, he kaha rawa te tirohanga auraki. Ki tā tētahi kaiako, “…I challenge them – kei hea te mātauranga Māori ki roto i te pāngarau?”
Me hāpai ake, hei āta whakanui atu i ngā putanga ako, ā, hei āta whakatau hoki i te noho rite o ngā kaiako mō ngā taumata o Te Taumata Mātauranga ā-Motu kua Taea. Me tautoko mā te whakaratonga o ngā rauemi me te whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio e pāhekoheko ana i te ao Māori me te mātauranga Māori. Ka whai hua ake, ka hāpai ake hoki te katoa o ngā rauemi me ngā whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio, ina ka whakapuakihia, ka tuhia hoki ki te reo Māori. Mō te whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio, i kōrero hoki ngā kaiako mō te whai huatanga o ngā kaupapa i whakaratohia ai e te Kaupapa Ara Whakawhiti Mātauranga i mua, me te whai huatanga, i ngā tino painga hoki mō ngā ākonga me ngā kaiako. I uru mai ngā mātanga o te pāngarau ki taua kaupapa, ā, ki tā te whakamāramatanga o tētahi kaiako, koia “the best PLD I have ever had – even though that was all about teaching the kids, the kaiako sat in and we learned heaps.” Koia nei te tāera o te whakawhanaketanga ako ngaio e tika ana hei hāpai i ngā kaiako o te pāngarau.
Tanya Savage
Te Pou Mataaho
Te Reo Matatini me Pāngarau Case Study: Te Wharekura o Manurewa, Manurewa
Te Horopaki o te Rangahau | Research context
Te Wharekura o Manurewa is located at Manurewa Marae, Auckland. They provide an education based on the philosophy of Te Aho Matua for students from Years 9-13 and their whānau. The wharekura has a roll of 37 students, all of which identify as Māori. There are seven teaching staff.
The wharekura whānau are working with the Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Manurewa in a combined governance structure to provide a seamless Te Aho Matua education, for students from Years 1-6, 7-10, 11-13. Both kura are working with the Ministry of Education on site relocation which is intended for 2022.
High expectations are held for student achievement. Students show confidence and leadership qualities across a range of contexts. Students are nurtured in an environment based on traditional Māori values and beliefs. They know their whakapapa connections in the urban setting is important to whānau.
Like all Māori-medium kura, te reo Māori is the language of instruction. The overarching goal of Te Aho Matua is that students are high achievers who exemplify the hopes and aspirations of their people. Te Aho Matua philosophy for teaching and learning is based on unique and distinctive values and beliefs as follows:
Te Tino Ūaratanga o Te Aho Matua are:
- Te Ira Tangata – The student develops physical, spiritual and emotional wellbeing, an awareness of his or her individual uniqueness and knowledge and respect for him or herself and others
- Te Reo Māori - The student is a competent thinker, speaker, reader and writer of Te Reo Māori and English
- Ngā Iwi - The student is secure in the knowledge of ancestral links, and the hopes and aspirations of whānau, hāpu and iwi
- Te Ao - The student knows the contemporary and traditional views of te Ao Māori, the wider world and the physical and natural world
- Āhuatanga Ako - The student is intellectually stimulated in an environment conducive to learning.
The research team visited Te Wharekura o Manurewa in July 2021 and spoke with 6 leaders and kaiako of te reo matatini and pāngarau in the kura to gain their perspectives.
Findings: Te Reo Matatini
Success for students in Te Reo Matatini
Kaiako and leaders in this wharekura reported that for them success in te reo matatini and Te Reo Rangatira is when students are highly engaged and confident in the subject, and they are equally confident in oral and written English. They emphasised the importance of acknowledging achievement and gaining credits in both languages because of the need to have a good command of English when graduates are looking for jobs or entering University. This wharekura places a high importance on students experiencing success in both languages.
“kei te haere ngātahi te reo Māori me te reo Ingarihi”[1] - Kaiako voice
“acknowledge there are two pathways to get literacy. Ka puta rātou ki te ao, ka kimi mahi, ka tuku ngā CV me kite kei te mōhio te reo Māori[2]. We have a boy who wants to join the army, and he has been told he needs Level 2 English credits – so he is working hard [to gain these].” – Kaiako voice
Factors that contribute to these attributes of success include having greater focus of integrating mātauranga Māori as well as contexts familiar to/of high interest to students; providing hands-on learning; ensuring student voices are valued and contribute to planning; and the streamlined effectiveness of the integrated curriculum. Students in this kura are exceeding expectations because kaiako are innovative and resourceful. Kaiako and students plan together around the Maramataka, special celebrations such as Matariki and food production. Kaiako and leaders report that “pāngarau is very strong here” and that students enjoy learning.
For some students at this wharekura, pāngarau is a challenge and kaiako attribute this to a lack of appropriate and adequate resources in te reo Māori. Kaiako note that it can be extremely confusing for students to be taught in te reo Māori but then having the English workbooks for follow up activities. In addition to this kaiako reported that the pressure and context for external examinations created another barrier to students experiencing success in pāngarau. In this wharekura students previously have become anxious and scared as they sit external examinations in an unfamiliar setting, at Manurewa High School, instead of their regular learning environment.
“He ao anō a Manurewa High. Kei te mataku ngā tauira[3].” – Kaiako voice
What is the current provision of Te Reo Matatini?
Kaiako and leaders understood the importance of having relevant, authentic, and meaningful content for students in the provision of te reo matatini. For example, one assessment involved asking students to select waiata relevant to them for their tuhituhi.
“we [completed] a tuhituhi [assessment] based on a song of essence. So, they chose songs from Tupac and Bob Marley. [That is] my measure of success.” – Kaiako voice
Kaiako at this kura work collaboratively with their students when it comes to planning and organising the learning in pāngarau. Kaiako understand the importance of student voice and engagement. One kaiako used wānanga with students to discuss and decide upon content for the term ahead. This led to high engagement and enjoyment for learners which then impacted on the success rates for students.
This vision of student success is hampered by the dominant Eurocentric model of teaching and resource design. As kaiako and leaders reiterated, the curriculum expectations and resources are heavily Western in nature, with a focus on Eurocentric assessment tasks. As one leader described:
“I think the paradigm is wrong. If we really value Māori mātauranga we need to move out of a Eurocentric model.” – Leader voice
Kura aspirations identified by kaiako and leaders centre around providing more quality resources in te reo matatini that are anchored in mātauranga Māori. “My point”, describes the same leader, “is we should be looking at Māori-centric qualifications.” Another aspiration is having recognition of te reo matatini credits in both English and Māori as currently they are only shown as Literacy Credits General. Kaiako indicate that this undervalues these subjects.
What is required to deliver high quality teaching and learning in te reo matatini?
All kaiako and leaders agreed that having appropriate and relevant resources and professional learning and development (PLD) are required to deliver high quality teaching and learning programmes.
Kaiako ERO said that because of the lack of appropriate PLD available in te reo matatini/Te Reo Rangatira, they had not accessed PLD. However, some specialist advisors in English have come in, which was acknowledged as helpful for some kaiako.
Specific resources used in provision of te reo matatini include: the Wharekura and Te Tautoko Series; Ngā Kete Kōrero; He Kohinga Kīwaha Te Kete Ipurangi; and Te Kura. Where possible, as one kaiako explained, pūrakau are used, such as “…Maui me te rā – I love pūrakau and the kids love pūrakau.” In general, however, there are limited fit-for-purpose resources that kaiako can use, which means they tend to produce resources themselves:
“Kāore e rahi ngā rauemi. Mā mātou anahe ngā rauemi e hangaia. Ko ngā mea e hanga ana e hāngai pū ana ki te ao o te tamariki. Rātou nō konei – Te Tonga o Tamaki Makaurau [4].” – Kaiako voice
“We have been doing this since Hoani Waititi started and nothing has changed. It’s taxing on the kaiako to teach and produce the resources.” – Kaiako voice
“We stumble along with what we have got”, stated onekaiako. This highlights the need for further support to maximise learning outcomes and ensure kaiako and students are well prepared for the NCEA standards. From the perspective of kaiako and leaders, this means having tailored, fit-for-purpose PLD and resources that are centred in te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori. Such PLD and resourcing needs to be appropriate for te reo matatini in assessment, plans/units, and curriculum expectations more broadly.
Findings: Pāngarau
What does success look like for students in pāngarau?
Kaiako emphasised that success in pāngarau looks like students who have positive attitudes, and who are confident and willing to engage in the kaupapa. From their perspective, key factors that develop these attributes include a ‘hands-on’ learning approach, the integration of mātauranga Māori, an integrated marau ā-kura, and kaiako innovation and capability (outlined below).
What is the current provision of pāngarau?
The current provision of pāngarau at Te Wharekura o Manurewa is NCEA-focussed, largely through English textbooks delivered in te reo Māori.
“We use Pākehā textbooks, but I deliver in te reo Māori.” – Kaiako voice
Using an English textbook but delivering in te reo is very challenging and was considered a limitation to the effective delivery of pāngarau. This is exacerbated by a current lack of adequate pāngarau resources in te reo Māori,which impacts on the way the subject is taught across the kura. As one kaiako mentioned, “There is no common approach to teaching pāngarau [from] kura teina to wharekura. We talk about building the foundation but korekau he papa[5].”
Similar to the discussion on Te Reo Matatini, there was a clear desire from kaiako that the curriculum for pāngarau should be “more Māori-centric.” “This is much the same kōrero for te reo matatini”, said one leader in relation to this. Kaiako did, however, mention that the Te Reo Pāngarau Māori Dictionary was useful for their teaching.
Nevertheless, kaiako, and the wharekura more broadly, have developed innovative ways of teaching pāngarau that cater to a diverse range of learning styles, and draw from te ao Māori. For example, kaiako described the ‘Ngā Hua Ako’ kaupapa, which combined elements of science, engineering, and pāngarau. The activities involved designing and building planting boxes with wood pallets, and then growing kai in them. The boxes were built over a week by tamariki, with each house of the wharekura having their own planter boxes. Tamariki had to water, weed, and maintain their planters, and the planting aligned with Matariki. This approach worked well for tama at the wharekura, as one kaiako described:
“Ko te mea nui ki ngā tama ko te whakawhanaungatanga, ko te tutu hoki[6].” – Kaiako voice
This, for kaiako, was an example of a localised, integrated curriculum approach that drew from mātauranga Māori:
“E hāngai pū ana ki te Maramataka, ki a Matariki hoki[7]. It’s not only about folders and reports. We spend a whole week building four [of them]. We already have four orders.” – Kaiako voice
Kaiako also described a welding project that similarly involved aspects of pāngarau and tuhituhi, as part of an integrated curriculum:
“We have just started building a 12v battery connected to a motor. When the tamariki can [build] it they can maybe build something to put the motor on.” – Kaiako voice
What is required to deliver high quality teaching and learning in pāngarau?
As with te reo matatini, kaiako refer to the immediate need for appropriate and relevant resources and PLD to deliver high quality teaching and learning programmes.
It was clear from kaiako in pāngarau that there is very little PLD for pāngarau, characterised by a lack of consistency and coordination:
“[There is] a lack of resources… I haven’t seen anything in 20 years for Levels 1-3.” – Kaiako voice
“[There is] pretty much nothing – bits and pieces here and there, nothing consistent. Not coordinated.” – Leader voice
Some kaiako are linked into the Auckland Maths Association, but this is considered too Eurocentric. As one kaiako pointed out, “…I challenge them – kei hea te mātauranga Māori ki roto i te pāngarau[8]?”
Further support to maximise learning outcomes and ensure kaiako are well prepared for NCEA standards is required. These supports include the provision of both resources and PLD which integrate te ao Māori and mātauranga Māori. All resources and PLD would be more effective and helpful if they were delivered and written in te reo Māori. In terms of PLD, kaiako mentioned the effectiveness of courses previously provided by Kaupapa Ara Whakawhiti Mātauranga (KAWM), which proved highly effective and beneficial for both students and kaiako. Experts in pāngarau were brought in for this and was described by one kaiako as “the best PLD I have ever had – even though that was all about teaching the kids, the kaiako sat in and we learned heaps.” This is the style of PLD needed to support kaiako pāngarau.
Tanya Savage
Te Pou Mataaho - Manager Evaluation and Research – Māori Services
[1] Te Reo Māori and English go hand in hand.
[2] They go out into the world, look for work, and submit CV’s to make sure they know te reo Māori.
[3] Manurewa High is another world. The students are scared.
[4] There are not enough resources. We are the only ones who create the resources. The materials are relevant to the children's world. They are from here - South Auckland.
[5] But there is no base.
[6] The most important thing to boys is relationships and trying things for themselves.
[7] It is specific to the calendar and Matariki.
[8] Where is the mātauranga Māori in the pāngarau? Referring to a lack of integration with mātauranga Māori and mathematics concepts.