Te Kōhanga Reo o Waitahanui

1 Te Horopaki

E tū ana Te Kōhanga Reo o Waitahanui ki te hapori iti o Waitahanui, ki waenga i ngā tāone o Taupō me Tūrangi. E tino whai pānga ana te tirohanga o te kōhanga reo ki te aronga nui ki tō rātou tū hei uri o te hapū o Ngāti Tutemohuta. Kua tāutuhia ngā uaratanga o te kōhanga reo, pērā i te whakapapa, te ūkaipōtanga, te manaakitanga, te whanaungatanga, me te kaitiakitanga. E noho pūmau ana te whānau ki te whakarato ki ngā tamariki ngā wheako e whakapūmau ai i ō rātou tuakiri, i tō rātou reo, i ō rātou whānau, ā, i tō rātou marae hoki. Ka whai wāhi nui ngā tamariki o te kōhanga reo ki te noho pūmau o te reo, ngā tikanga, me te marae o Ngāti Tutemohuta ā tōna wā. I tēnei wā, kua kī te tatauranga o te rārangi ingoa ki tēnā i whakatakotohia ai ki te raihana, heoi, kua eke ki te 20 tamariki, ā, he rārangi tatari hoki mō ngā tamariki me ngā whānau e hiahia ana ki te uru mai.

2 Ngā Whakaaturanga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te ako a ngā tamariki i te Tutemohutatanga?

He pai te tūnga o ngā tamariki ki te ako i tō rātou tuakiri me ō rātou hononga ki a Ngāti Tutemohuta.

Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira

E ako ana ngā tamariki i tō rātou tuakiri hei uri o Ngāti Tutemohuta. Ka kitea e rātou ngā kōrero tuku iho e pā ana ki a Ngāti Tutemohuta ki ngā pakitara o tō rātou kōhanga reo, ā, ka whakamāharatia rātou i ia te wā ō rātou hononga ki te hapū, ki te moana a Taupō-nui-a-Tia, me ētahi atu wāhi whakahirahira o te hapori. Ka whakapūmautia anō hoki tō rātou tuakiri mā te ako i ngā waiata o te hapū, me te whakaatu i ō rātou pepeha ki te kōhanga reo. He whai wāhitanga i ia te wā mō ngā tamariki ki te noho ki te marae, ā, ka āwhina rātou ki te hora i ngā tēpu kai, ka whai wāhi atu ki ngā pōwhiri, ā, ka ako hoki i tō rātou tū hei tangata whenua ki Waitahanui. Nā tō rātou noho ki te taha o ngā pākeke i te marae, ka rongo ngā tamariki i ngā whakapapa, ā, ka whanake anō hoki tō rātou mōhiotanga ki ngā tātai whakapapa ki waenga i a rātou anō. E mōhio ana ngā tamariki, he whakahirahira tō rātou whai wāhi nui ki te kōhanga reo me te marae.

E rumakina ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi taiao e whakamana ana i te reo Māori. Ko tō te whānau wawata, kia ako ā rātou tamariki i te reo Māori ki tētahi taiao e whakanui ana i a Tutemohuta. E noho pūmau ana ngā kaimahi ki te whakamahi i te reo Māori ki te kōhanga reo, me te hāpai i te rongo o ngā tamariki i te reo Māori e whakamahia ana ki te whānuitanga o ngā tūmomo horopaki, pērā i te marae. Ka hāpai, ka akiaki hoki rātou i ngā tamariki ki ngā wā e tika ana, hei hāpai i te whakamahinga o te reo. E whai wāhi atu ana ngā tamariki ki te hōtaka o ia rā, ā, ka ārahi rātou i ngā waiata, ka taki i ngā mihimihi, ā, ka hāpaitia tā rātou whakamahinga i te reo Māori. Ahakoa kei te mārama, kei te whakamahi hoki ngā tamariki i ngā kupu māmā me ngā kīanga māmā i roto i ngā horopaki tika, he nui anō hoki ngā wā ka whakawhitiwhiti kōrero rātou mā te reo Pākehā. E whanake ana ngā pūkenga reo Māori o ngā tamariki.

E whakawhanake ana ngā tamariki i tō rātou mōhiotanga ki te taiao māoriori o Ngāti Tutemohuta. Ka whai wāhi atu ngā tamariki ki ngā kaupapa i te hapori, hei uri o Ngāti Tutemohuta. Haere ai ngā tuākana i ia te wā ki ngā wāhi e pā tata ana ki te kōhanga reo, ki te ako, ā, ki te tūhonohono hoki ki ngā kōrero e pā ana ki a Ngāti Tutemohuta me Waitahanui. Ka whai wāhi atu ngā tamariki ki te whāngai i ngā kararehe, te tiaki me te hauhake i te māra, te kohikohi i ngā huarākau i te uru rākau, me te titiro ki ngā kauranga koura me ngā kauranga ika. E whakawhānui ana aua wheako i te ako a ngā tamariki i te noho whakahirahira o te kaitiakitanga me te manaakitanga, me ngā huarahi ka taea e rātou te whai ki te manaaki me te whāngai i te iwi me ngā manuhiri. He ngākau titikaha tō ngā tamariki i tō rātou taiao ake, i tō rātou hapori ake.

E whai wāhi atu ana ngā tamariki ki tētahi hōtaka akoranga e ahu mai ana i ngā kaupapa i tāutuhia ai, ā, i whakahonotia ai ki ngā atua Māori. He māhorahora tā rātou haereere ki ngā tūmomo taumahi i whakaritea ai e ngā pākeke i te kōhanga reo. Tērā anō ētahi whai wāhitanga mō ngā tamariki ki te kōkiri i ā rātou ake tākaro. He wāteatea te wāhi ako o waho, ā, e āta whakamahia ana hei āhuatanga tonu o ngā akoranga o ngā tamariki. Ka whakamahi ngā tēina i te mahau me te wāhi whāriki hoki o roto, i ngā tuākana e haereere ana i ia rā ki ngā wāhi o tō rātou hapori. He pai te whakahaere i ngā mahinga. He pai anō hoki te whai wāhi nui mai o te whānau ki te hōtaka akoranga. Ka āta whakaritea te ako a ngā tamariki.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka Whai Ake

E tika ana kia ākina ake te whakamahinga a ngā tamariki i te reo Māori i ia te wā, puta noa i te rā. Kei ngā kaimahi te ngākau titikaha me te āheinga ki te whakapūmau i tētahi taiao ako rumaki reo Māori. Me tahuri rātou i nāianei ki te tāutu i ngā rautaki me ngā huarahi ka hāpai i ngā tamariki ki te whakamahi ake i te reo Māori ki waenga i a rātou anō, ā, ki ngā kaimahi hoki. Kua tae hoki ki te wā kia whai whakaaro ngā kaimahi me te whānau ki te whakawhānui ake i ngā tūmomo taumahi ako hei whiringa mā ngā tamariki, ā, kia whai wāhi mai pea ko te tākaro wai, te mahi toi, tētahi tēpu hanganga, me ngā tūmomo tākaro auaha. Mā aua wheako, ka nui ake anō hoki ngā whai wāhitanga ako reo e whakawhānui ai i te whakamahinga o ngā tamariki i te reo Māori.

Te Whakamahere me te Aromātai

E tino whakaarohia ana te ako a ngā tamariki, hei āhuatanga tonu o ngā tukanga e pā ana ki te whakamahere, te aromatawai, me te aromātai ki te kōhanga reo. He tūmāia, he tākare hoki te rōpū kaimahi e whakarato ngātahi ana i ngā mahere ako e whakapūmau ana i te aronga ki a Ngāti Tutemohuta. Ka ū hoki ki ngā whakaritenga e pā ana ki te aromatawai me te aromātai. E noho ngākau nui ana ngā kaimahi ki te tupu me te ako i ngā huarahi hou ka hāpai i te ako a ngā tamariki me ō rātou whanaketanga. Kua toro atu rātou ki te tautoko ka ahu mai i tā rātou kāhui kōhanga reo, hei hāpai ake i te āhua o ā rātou mahi ki te whakamahere i te hōtaka akoranga. Kua tino whai hua tēnei mahi ki ngā kaimahi, ā, kua tīmata rātou i nāianei ki te whakatinana ake i aua whakapaitanga. Ka taea hoki e ngā mema o te whānau ngā whakaaro te whakapuaki mō te hōtaka akoranga. E whakatairangatia ana te ako a ngā tamariki nā ngā pūmanawa o ngā kaimahi.

Kua tāutuhia e te whānau tā rātou aronga rautaki, ā rātou uaratanga, me ā rātou kaupapa matua mō te kōhanga reo ā meāke nei. E tino hono katoa ana aua tūāhuatanga ki tō rātou tuakiri hei uri o Ngāti Tutemohuta, me tō rātou whai wāhi nui ki a Waitahanui me tō rātou iwi. Ko ētahi o ngā kaupapa matua a te whānau, ko te whakawhānui i ngā whare o te kōhanga reo, ko tētahi mahere tauatanga kia tū ai ngā kaimahi ki ngā tūranga ārahi o te kōhanga reo, ā, ko te hāpai hoki i te whakawhitinga o ngā tamariki i te kōhanga reo ki te kura. E mōhio ana ngā mema o te whānau ki ngā whakaritenga o te mahere rautaki ka whai ake, ā, he tukanga hoki ā rātou ki te whakatutuki i aua whakaritenga. Ko te whakapau kaha o te whānau i te kōhanga reo e kōkirihia ana ki ō rātou wawata kia whai oranga ake ā rātou tamariki ā meāke nei.

He pakari ngā mahi whakahaere a te whānau ki te kōhanga reo. He pai te tautoko o te whānau i ngā whakahaeretanga o ia rā, inarā, i te taetae mai o ngā māmā awhi hei tautoko i te hōtaka akoranga i ia wiki. Tū ai ngā hui ā-whānau i ia te wā, ā, he pai hoki ngā tuhinga kōrero e pā ana ki aua hui me ngā whakawhitinga whakaaro. Ka whakapūmautia ngā wāhanga matua o ngā whakahaeretanga me ngā pūrongo. Kei ngā aromātai o roto, ko te auau o te arotake i ngā kaupapa here, me te āta whakarite kia noho matua tonu ai ngā whakaritenga e pā ana ki hauora me te haumaru. E tino tautokona ana ngā tamariki o te kōhanga reo e tō rātou whānau.

3 Te Whakatau a te Whānau ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I te wā o te aromātai, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha o te kōhanga reo ki te whakahaere i ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei e whai pānga nui ana ki te waiora o ngā tamariki:

• te haumaru whatumanawa (tāpiri atu ko te ārahi mauritau, ko te ārai tamariki)
• te haumaru ā-tinana (tāpiri atu ko te mātakitaki tamariki; ko ngā whakaritenga whakamoe; ko ngā aituā; ko te whāngai rongoā; ko ngā whakaritenga akuaku; ko ngā kaupapa here me ngā tikanga haerenga whakawaho)
• te tū tika o ngā kaimahi (tae atu ki ngā taumata tohu mātauranga; te arowhai a ngā pirihimana; ngā rēhitatanga kaiako; me te tatauranga ki waenga i te kaiako me te tamaiti)
• ngā whakaritenga, tikanga hōneatanga e pā ana ki te ahi me te rū whenua.

Ko te tikanga, ka whakatairanga ngā kōhanga reo katoa i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki, me te arotake anō hoki i ia te wā i tā rātou whakatutukitanga i ngā herenga ā-ture.

4 Te Taunakitanga

I whakawhanakehia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me te whānau o te kōhanga reo te taunakitanga e whai ake nei, arā, kia:

• toro atu tonu rātou ki ngā whakaaro me te tautoko o ētahi atu kōhanga reo, o te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo hoki, hei whakatairanga i ngā whakaritenga o tēnei wā, inarā, hei whakatairanga ake i te whakamahinga a ngā tamariki i ia te wā i te reo Māori, ā, hei whakawhānui hoki i ngā tūmomo taumahi ako.

Hei ā hea Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga aromātai anō ai i te kōhanga reo?

Ka aromātai anō Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i Te Kōhanga Reo o Waitahanui i roto i te toru o ngā tau.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Kaiurungi Whakaturuki Arotake Māori

18 Haratua, 2018

Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te kōhanga reo

1 Context

Te Kōhanga Reo o Waitahanui is located in Waitahanui, a small community between Taupō and Tūrangi. The vision for the kōhanga reo is strongly linked to embracing their identity as the hapū of Tutemohuta. There are defined values for the kōhanga reo including whakapapa, ūkaipōtanga, manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and kaitiakitanga. The whānau is committed to providing experiences for children that reinforce who they are, their language, their whānau and their marae. Children in the kōhanga reo will play a critical role in the future to maintain the language, tikanga and marae of Tutemohuta. The kōhanga roll is currently operating at its maximum licensed roll of 20 children and has a waiting list of children and whānau.

2 The Evaluation Findings

How well do children learn about Tutemohutatanga?

Children are well placed to learn about their identity and their links to Tutemohuta.

Ngā Taumata Whakahirahira

Children learn about who they are as uri of Tutemohuta. They see the story of Tutemohuta on their wall at kōhanga reo and are regularly reminded of their connections to the hapū, Lake Taupō and other local places of significance. Their identity is also reinforced through learning waiata from the hapū and having their pepeha displayed in the kōhanga reo. Children have regular opportunities to spend time at the marae where they help to set the tables for kai, participate in pōwhiri, and learn about their roles as tangata whenua in Waitahanui. While around the adults on the marae, children hear the language of whakapapa and develop an awareness of how they are related to others. Children know the importance of their place in the kōhanga reo and marae.

Children are immersed in an environment that values te reo Māori. The whānau aspires for their children to learn te reo Māori in an environment that reflects Tutemohuta. Kaimahi are committed to using te reo Māori at the kōhanga reo and allowing children to hear te reo Māori being used in different settings such as the marae. They support and prompt children as needed to support language use. Children participate in the daily programme where they lead waiata, recite mihimihi, and are supported to use te reo Māori. Although children understand and use simple words and phrases in the correct context, their language of communication is often English. Children’s language skills in te reo Māori are developing.

Children are developing their knowledge about the physical environment of Tutemohuta. Children take part in community events as uri of Tutemohuta. Tuākana regularly visit places near the kōhanga reo to learn and connect with stories about Tutemohuta and Waitahanui. Children help to feed the animals, maintain and harvest the garden, gathering fruit from the trees in the orchard, and visiting the koura and fish pods. These experiences extend children’s learning about the importance of kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga, and how they can help to care for and feed the iwi and manuhiri. Children are confident in their local environment and community.

Children participate in a learning programme that is based on the identified kaupapa and linked to atua Māori. They move freely between activities which are prepared by the adults in the kōhanga reo. There are some opportunities for children to initiate their own play. The outdoors learning environment is spacious and well utilised as part of children’s learning. Tēina use the deck area and indoor mat area while tuakana are on their daily visits to areas of the village. Routines are well managed. There is a good level of whānau involvement in the learning programme. Children’s learning is well organised.

Key Next Steps

Children can be encouraged to use te reo Māori more consistently throughout the day. Kaimahi have the confidence and ability to maintain an immersion learning environment. They should now identify strategies and approaches that will enable children to use te reo Māori more with each other and with kaimahi. It is also timely for kaimahi and whānau to consider extending the variety of learning activities for children to choose from such as water play, arts and crafts, construction table, and creative play. These experiences will provide more language learning opportunities to extend children’s use of te reo Māori.

Planning and Evaluation

Children’s learning is well considered as part of planning, assessment and evaluation processes in the kōhanga reo. There is a team of confident and enthusiastic kaimahi who provide work together for plan learning that reinforces that focus on Tutemohuta. Assessment and evaluation practices are maintained. Kaimahi are open to growing and learning new ways to support children’s learning and development. They have sought support from within their kōhanga reo network to improve how they plan the learning programme. This has been a positive experience for kaimahi who are now implementing those improvements. Whānau members can also contribute ideas towards the learning programme. Children’s learning is enhanced by the capability of kaimahi.

The whānau has identified their strategic direction, values and priorities for the future of the kōhanga reo. These are all strongly linked to their identity as Tutemohuta and place within Waitahanui and the iwi. Priorities for the whānau include extending the kōhanga reo facilities, a succession plan for kaimahi into leadership roles in the kōhanga reo, and supporting the transition of kōhanga reo graduates into kura. Whānau members are aware of their next steps on the strategic plan and have processes in place to meet these. Efforts of whānau in the kōhanga reo are driven by aspirations of a better future for children.

Whānau management practices in the kōhanga reo are sound. There is good whānau support for day to day operations, in particular the māmā awhi who are present to help with the learning programme during the week. Whānau hui are held regularly and there are good records kept of these meetings and discussions. Key areas of operation and reporting are maintained. Internal evaluation includes regular policy review, and ensuring health and safety practices are prioritised. Children in the kōhanga reo are well supported by their whānau.

3 Whānau Management Assurance on Compliance Areas

During the evaluation, ERO looked at the kōhanga reo systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children's wellbeing:

• emotional safety (including positive guidance and child protection)
• physical safety (including supervision; sleep procedures; accidents; medication; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
• suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

All kōhanga reo are required to promote children's health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

4 Recommendation

ERO and the Kōhanga Reo whānau developed the following recommendation:

• Continue to seek ideas and support from other kōhanga reo and Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust to enhance current practices, in particular promoting consistent use of te reo Māori by children and extending the range of learning activities.

When is ERO likely to evaluate the kōhanga reo again?

The next ERO evaluation of Te Kōhanga Reo o Waitahanui will be in three years.

Lynda Pura-Watson

Deputy Chief Review Officer Māori

18 May 2018

Information about the Kōhanga Reo