Due: 31st October
Governance and reporting shapes the future of New Zealand education by the evaluation and planning done by boards in their governance role. Until 1st August 2020 that governance role, and the reporting accompanying it, functioned against the provisions of the Education Act (1989). However, that act has been replaced and incorporated into the Education and Training Act 2020, which came into effect on 1st August 2020.
The Act, an outcome of the Kōrero Mātauranga (Education Conversation) and the Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce report, incorporates and replaces the Education Acts of 1964 and 1989, and also incorporates the Education (Pastoral Care) Amendment Act 2019, the Education (Vocational Education and Training Reform) Amendment Act 2020 and parts 7, 7A and 7B of the State Sector Act 1988.
The Act implements a range of changes intended to strengthen school governance and refocus schools on what matters most for learners and their whānau, as well as to encourage the more active involvement of students, parents, families and whānau in education decisions affecting them.
The Act revises the objectives for school boards from one primary objective to four primary objectives that ensure school governance is underpinned by Te Tiriti o Waitangi and relevant student rights. The first three new objectives took effect from August 2020, the fourth, giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi took effect from 1 January 2021, so that boards had time to understand and prepare for the changes they needed to make to their school to give effect to this new objective.
Section 127 of the Act now provides that a board’s primary objectives are to ensure that:
- every student at the school is able to attain their highest possible standard in education achievement; and
- the school:
- is a physically and emotionally safe place for all students and staff; and
- gives effect to relevant student rights; and
- takes all reasonable steps to eliminate racism, stigma, bullying, and any other forms of discrimination within the school.
- the school is inclusive of, and caters for, students with differing needs; and
- the school gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi including by:
- working to ensure its plans, policies and local curriculum reflect local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori,
- taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori,
- achieving equitable outcomes for Māori students.
(An early iteration of these concepts was captured in the work of the Te Kotahitanga and Kia Eke Panuku initiatives out of Waikato University (now Poutama Pounamu), around a central pedagogy):
School boards will need to work with their communities to ensure their plans policies and local curriculum reflect local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori. Ministry staff will be able to provide advice on how to initiate these conversations.
Culturally Responsive and Relational Pedagogy
Educators create contexts for learning within which:
– relationships of care and connectedness are fundamental (whanaungatanga)
– power is shared and learners have the right to equity and self determination (mahi tahi, kotahitanga)
– culture counts, learners’ understandings form the basis of their identity and learning (whakapapa)
– sense-making is dialogic, interactive and ongoing (ako)
– decision-making and practice is responsive to relevant evidence (wānanga)
– our common vision and interdependent roles and responsibilities focus on the potential of learners – Māori students achieving and enjoying educational success as Māori – (kaupapa)
Module 13 Resources (optional):
Please explore the resources most relevant to you.
Background to the Education and Training Act:
Education and Training Act 2020 – Administrative Changes
https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/legislation/education-and-training-act-2020/
The Education and Training Act 2020: Information for Boards
Education and Training Act 2020: Improving planning and reporting
The Education and Training Act 2020: Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Supports and tools to help engagement with Te Tiriti of Waitangi:
- Rapua Te Ara Tika | the Local Curriculum Design Tool, which helps communities to build a shared marau ā-kura and local curriculum across the education pathway; https://curriculumtool.education.govt.nz/
- Tātaiako cultural competencies for teachers of Māori learners which help teachers personalize learning for, and with, Māori learners; https://teachingcouncil.nz/resource-centre/tataiako-cultural-competencies-for-teachers-of-maori-learners/
- Professional Learning and Development on cultural capability, local curriculum design, and assessment for learning in English medium; https://pld.education.govt.nz/
- Te Hurihanganui to help participating schools and communities build effective partnerships to support learner outcomes.
https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/overall-strategies-and-policies/te-hurihanganui/
- Poutama Pounamu – Ako, critical contexts for change https://poutamapounamu.org.nz/assets/resources/site/PP-A5-leaflet-Ako-Critical-Contexts-for-Change.pdf
Module 13 Provocation/Task:
Building on the reality that all school boards will have some aspects of good practice in place already to meet objective four, this korero is an opportunity to share those with each other:
Choose a question and share your response in less than 150 words:
– In what ways could a visitor to your school see that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to school culture and /or school governance?
– In what ways does your current reporting reflect engagement with local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori?
– What value does your school place on board documents being bilingual?
– What adjustments do board policies need to be culturally appropriate in delivering equitable outcomes for Māori?
2 Responses
A visitor to our school is going to notice a variety of visible and cultural elements reflecting the principles of the Treaty, i.e. partnership, participation, and protection. For a start, we have bilingual signs around the school. We also have a carving, and koru motifs on some buildings, signifying the importance of Māori heritage. All formal school events and visitor welcomes at our school begin with a mihi whakatau or pōwhiri as a way of acknowledging Māori protocols. We have a school song in Te Reo as well as a strong Kapa Haka group. Students at our school participate in language lessons, greetings, and expressions in Māori, via our school’s television program, called “Kaupapa on the Couch”. Lessons are delivered to classrooms three times a week. We have competitions, quizzes and activities in Te Reo which bring the students together. Māori perspectives and histories, including the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, is woven into teaching across subjects. We also have Māori representation on our Board of Trustees. Māori success is prioritized as part of school-wide goals.Our school consult with Māori whanau twice a year to gather their ideas on how we as a school a fulfilling our obligations for our māoristudents. This is a good way to get community participation as we also identify whanau we can count on to help with various activities over the year. We have Māori staff members in leadership roles. Our school celebrates significant events in the Māori calendar, such as Matariki (Māori New Year) and Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week). These are important occasions in our school’s annual calendar, involving both students and the community. Finally, we have Māori students in student leadership roles on the student council. By observing these elements, a visitor to our school can gain a sense of how Te Tiriti o Waitangi is integrated into our school’s culture, curriculum, and governance.
While our kura’s current reporting demonstrates some progress in reflecting engagement with local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori, it is still a work in progress. We have incorporated Māori perspectives into our school’s strategic docs and implementation plans. Additionally, we continue to collect data on Māori student achievement and engagement, which helps us identify areas for improvement. However, we recognize that there is still room to deepen our understanding and integration of Māori knowledge and practices into our reporting processes. We are committed to ongoing learning and collaboration with local iwi and hapū (Te Atiawa and Ngati Kohanga Moa) to ensure that our reporting accurately reflects our school’s commitment to equity and cultural responsiveness.