Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Hunga Kāwitiwiti

1 He Kupu Arataki

Kua mahi ngātahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ngā whānau, ngā kaiārahi, ngā kaimahi me ngā hapori ki te whakawhanake i ngā tirohanga aromātai e whai wāhi nui ai ki te hāpai i te kawenga takohanga me te whakapaitanga, ki te tautuhi i te ahu whakamua, ā, ki te whakapakari ake hoki i te āheinga ki te aromātai. Ka whakarato ngā pūrongo a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā mōhiohio mātuatua mā ngā whānau, ngā hapū me ngā iwi.

2 Te Horopaki

Ko Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Hunga Kāwitiwiti tētahi o ngā kōhanga reo tuatahi i whakatūngia ai i Whanganui. Kei te marae o Te Ao Hou te kōhanga reo e tū ana, ā, ko Ngāti Tūpoho te hapū, ko Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi te iwi.

I kitea ki te aromātai Mana Whakahaere a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i te Here-turi-kōkā o te tau 2023, ko te aromātai o roto tētahi āhuatanga kia whakapakarihia, hei āta whakatau i te aronga o ngā whakaritenga whakahaere a te whānau ki te whakapai tonu.

3  Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakapuaki a ngā mokopuna i a rātou anō mā te reo Māori?

Kei te māia haere ngā mokopuna ki te whakapuaki i a rātou anō mā te reo Māori.

4 Mana Mokopuna

E ako ana ngā mokopuna ki tētahi taiao e aro matua ana ki te reo Māori. Ka whakamahi ngā kaimahi i ngā rautaki reo e tika ana ki te hāpai i te whakawhanaketanga reo o ngā mokopuna. Ka ako ngā mokopuna i ngā hanganga reo me ngā māramatanga mā ngā karakia, ngā mihimihi, me ngā waiata, hei āhuatanga ōkawa o te hōtaka. He ngākau titikaha ō ngā mokopuna ki te kōrero i te reo Māori ki te taumata e tau ana ki a rātou. Ka kitea te māramatanga o ngā pēpi ki te reo Māori mā te reo ā-tinana me te āhua hoki o ō rātou kanohi. Whakamihi ai ngā kaimahi i te whakapau kaha a ngā mokopuna ki te whakamahi i te reo Māori i roto i ngā tūmomo horopaki. Ko te whai wāhi mai o ngā kuia e whakahōhonu ake ana i te reo Māori e whakapuakihia ana, mā roto mai i tō rātou matatau ki te reo. He maringanui ō ngā mokopuna ki te mahi ki te taha tonu o ō rātou kuia. E whakarato ana ngā kaimahi i tētahi hōtaka o ia rā e poipoi ana i te awhi, te tautoko, me te aroha. E whakatairanga ana aua uara i ngā taunekeneke whakaute a ngā mokopuna ki te taha o ngā pakeke me ō rātou hoa. E whanake ana ngā mokopuna ki te kōrero i te reo Māori.

He muramura te taiao o te kōhanga reo, ā, he pai hoki te whakatakotoranga. Kei ngā tuākana, ngā tēina, me ngā pēpi ō rātou ake wāhi motuhake. He ngāwari, he taunga hoki ngā whakawhitinga. Nā tēnā, he māmā te whakawhiti haere a ngā mokopuna ki ngā tūmomo wāhi. Kei te harikoa ngā mokopuna ki te taiao ako i waihangatia ai ki te whakatutuki i ō rātou matea ake hei ākonga nohinohi.

I Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga e noho ana ki te kōhanga reo, i arowhaingia ngā tukanga a ngā kaimahi mō te aromatawai i te whakawhanaketanga o ngā mokopuna. Ka kapohia te ako me te ahu whakamua a ngā mokopuna ki Te Whakapuāwaitanga o te Mokopuna me Educa. Ka aro nui aua tūāhuatanga ki te whakawhanaketanga o ia mokopuna, ki tana ahu whakamua hoki, i roto i te roanga o te wā. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna i te wā ka whakarato ngā kaimahi i ngā mōhiohio māramarama e pā ana ki te ako me te ahu whakamua a ngā mokopuna.

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

I manatoko i ngā tuhinga i te wā i toro atu Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ki te kōhanga reo, heoi anō rā, ko te aromātai o roto tētahi wāhanga tonu hei whakawhanake. Me whakahōhonu ake i ngā pūnaha e hāpai ana i te whakahaeretanga o ngā whakaritenga ki te kōhanga reo, hei āta whakatau i te whai huatanga o ngā mahi whakahaere a te whānau.

Kāhore te mahere ā-tau e tohu ana i te aronga mō te tau kei te heke mai. He mea nui, kia whakatakotohia tētahi mahere ā-tau e āta whakatau ai i te aroturukitanga me te whakatutukitanga o ngā mahi whakahaere matua i te tari, i roto i te wā e tika ana.

Kāhore i te rawaka ngā mahi whakahaere kaimahi. I te wā i tae atu Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ki te kōhanga reo, kāhore i te wātea ngā kirimana mahi, ngā tuhinga tūranga mahi, me ngā arohaehae hei tirohanga. Kia whakatutukihia te Employment Relations Act 2000, me whakawhanake, me whakahaere hoki te whānau i ngā take kaimahi, i runga anō i ngā tūāhuatanga o taua ture.

5 Te Whakatau ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I te wā o te arotake, i tirohia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha ki te whakahaere i ngā wāhanga e whai ake nei, arā, ki:

• te haumaru ā-whatumanawa, tae atu ki te ārahi mauritau me te ārai tamariki

• te haumaru ā-tinana, tae atu ki te mātakitaki tamariki, ngā whakaritenga whakamoe, ngā aituā, te whāngai rongoā; me ngā kaupapa here, ngā tukanga hoki mō ngā haerenga whakawaho

• te tū tika o ngā kaimahi, tae atu ki te tika o ngā tohu mātauranga, ngā mahi arowhai a ngā pirihimana, me te tatauranga ki waenga i te kaiako me te tamaiti 

• ngā whakaritenga ohotata me ngā tikanga ohotata e pā ana ki te rū whenua, te ahi, te waipuke, te tai āniwhaniwha, me te mate urutā.

Hei whakatutuki i ngā herenga ā-ture, me tahuri te whānau ki te:

• whakarite i tētahi tukanga o te arotake whaiaro, o te aromātai o roto rānei e whakahaerehia ana i ngā wā katoa, hei hāpai i te kōhanga reo ki te whakapūmau me te whakapai ake i te kounga o te mātauranga me te atawhai

[R46 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA6 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]  

• āta whakatau i te tukanga e whakatinana ai, e aroturuki ai hoki i te ahu whakamua o ngā wāhanga matua o te mahere ā-tau o ngā whakaritenga

[R47 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA8 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]

• āta whakatau i ngā whakaritenga e tika ana mō te whakahaeretanga o ngā pūmanawa tāngata, tae atu ki te arohaehae i ngā kaimahi me te whakaratonga o te whakawhanaketanga ngaio

[R47 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA7 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia toro atu te whānau ki te tautoko o waho a Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo, ki te whakatutuki i ngā take i tautuhia ai ki tēnei pūrongo.

Darcy Te Hau
Toka-ā-Nuku
Te Uepū-a-Motu – Māori Services

11 Whiringa ā-nuku, 2023

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te Kōhanga Reo

Te tūwāhi	Kei Whanganui
Te tau a te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga	52735
Te tau tohu o Te Kōhanga Reo	07F009
Te tūmomo whare	He kōhanga reo
Te raihana	Ngā Ture Mātauranga (Ratonga Kōhungahunga) 2008
Te tokomaha mō te raihana	40, kia tekau ki raro i te rua o ngā tau
Te tokomaha kei runga i te rārangi ingoa	21, tokowhitu kei raro i te rua o ngā tau
Ngā hononga ā-iwi	Māori 20, Iwi kē 1
Te wā i te kōhanga reo te rōpū arotake	Here-turi-kōkā 2023
Te wā o tēnei pūrongo	11 Whiringa-ā-nuku 2023
Ngā pūrongo o mua a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga	Mana Whakahaere, Hōngongoi 2023; Arotake Mātauranga, Pipiri 2019; Arotake Mātauranga,  Pipiri 2016

1 Introduction

The Education Review Office (ERO) in collaboration with whānau, leaders, kaimahi and their communities develop evaluation insights that foster accountability and improvement, identify progress and build evaluation capability. This report reflects their systems, operations and management practices. ERO’s reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi.

2 Context

Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Hunga Kāwitiwiti is one of the first kōhanga reo to be established in Whanganui. The kōhanga reo is on Te Marae o Te Ao Hou whose principle hapū is Ngāti Tūpoho of Te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi. 

The ERO August 2023 evaluation of Mana Whakahaere findings found that internal evaluation required strengthening to ensure whānau whakahaere practices focused on continual improvement. 

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do mokopuna express themselves in te reo Māori?

Mokopuna are gaining confidence in expressing themselves through te reo Māori.

4 Mana Mokopuna

Mokopuna learn in an environment where te reo Māori is prioritised. Kaimahi use appropriate language strategies to support mokopuna language development. Karakia, mihimihi and waiata are ways where mokopuna learn language structures and meaning during the formal part of the programme. Older mokopuna are confident to speak te reo Māori at a level that they are comfortable with. Pēpi demonstrate their understanding of te reo Māori through body language and facial expressions. Kaimahi regularly praise mokopuna efforts for using te reo Māori in different situations. The presence of kuia brings a richness to the Maori language that can only be found through fluency. Mokopuna have the privilege to work in the same space as their kuia. Kaimahi provide a daily programme that fosters awhi, tautoko and aroha. These values enhance mokopuna interaction with adults and their peers in respectful ways. Mokopuna are developing as speakers of te reo Māori.

The kōhanga reo environment is colourful and organized. There are separate spaces for tuākana, teina and pēpi. Transitions are smooth and familiar. This ensures mokopuna can move with ease across different spaces. Mokopuna are happy in the learning environment that has been created to meet their specific needs as early learners.

While onsite, ERO checked what processes kaimahi have in place to assess mokopuna development.  Mokopuna learning and progress is captured through Te Whakapuawaitanga o te Mokopuna and Educa.  These acknowledge individual mokopuna development and progress overtime. Mokopuna benefit when kaimahi practice provides clear information on mokopuna learning and progress.

Key Next Steps

As a result of document verification while onsite, internal evaluation remains an area for development. Systems supporting the management of operations of the kōhanga reo require further depth to ensure effective functioning of whānau whakahaere practices. 

An annual plan does not reflect what the focus will be for the coming year. It is essential to establish an annual plan to ensure key administration tasks are monitored and completed in a timely manner.

Personnel management is inadequate. Employment contracts, positions descriptions and appraisal information was not available during the onsite. To observe the Employment Relations Act 2000, whānau must develop and manage personnel matters in accordance with the Act.

5 Kōhanga Whānau Assurance on Legal Requirement

During the evaluation, ERO looked at systems for managing the following areas:

• emotional safety including positive guidance and child protection

• physical safety including supervision, sleep procedures, accidents, medication, excursion policy and procedures

• suitable staffing including appropriate qualifications, police vetting, ratios

• emergency procedures and practices for earthquakes, fire, flood, tsunami and pandemic.

Actions for Compliance

To meet compliance requirements, they must: 

• ensure there is an ongoing process of self-review or internal evaluation to help the kōhanga maintain and improve the quality of its education and care
  [Regulation 46 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; GMA6 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]

• ensure there is a process to implement and monitor the progress of key aspects of the annual plan of operations
  [Regulation 47 Education (Early Childhood Services] Regulations 2008; GMA8 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]

• ensure suitable human resource management practices, including appraisal for staff and the provision of professional development.
  [Regulation 47 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, (GMA7) Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]

6 Recommendation

ERO recommends that whānau should seek external support from the National Te Kōhanga Reo Trust to address the concerns identified within this report.

Darcy Te Hau
Toka-ā-Nuku – Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

11 October 2023

7 Information about the Kōhanga Reo

Location	Whanganui
Ministry of Education profile number	52735
Kōhanga Reo Identification Number	07F009
Licence type	Te Kōhanga Reo
Licensed under	Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008
Number licensed for	40 children, including up to 10 aged under 2
Kōhanga Reo roll	21 children, including up to 7 aged under 2
Ethnic composition	Māori 20, Other 1
Review team onsite	August 2023
Date of this report	11 October 2023
Most recent ERO reports	Mana Whakahaere, July 2023; Education Review, June 2019; Education Review, June 2016