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?
16 Responses
In what ways could a visitor to your school see that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to school culture and /or school governance?
This question is relevant to me as it is something we have reflected on with our school leadership team and Board in recent years. We have brought on an additional Board member to represent our Māori whānau and offer support and advice, ensuring a māori lens and voice is present in school governance. We continue to meet regularly with whānau to build strong relationships and communicate openly about the progress of the school.
An example of the connection between our Board, staff and school whānau is our recent project to create and install new Pou. The concept began when the Board sought feedback on projects and priorities for funding in the school. One idea was to better visually represent our connection to Māori culture in the school environment. With the Boards support, some key staff were able to lead discussions with our whānau group and seek wider expertise and guidance. Through the project, we have been able to strengthen connections, grow understanding about tikanga Māori, provide practical learning opportunities to our tamariki and better create a school where all feel safe and a sense of belonging.
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 reflecting on what a visitor would see at our kura that reflects Te Tiriti o Waitangi, I identified key things we do. At our kura our kaiako, office staff, caretaker and learner support staff all greet in te ao Māori. Often we hear students greeting each other and adults in te ao Māori and asking “Kei te pehea koe?”. Our school values are dual language. We have our four values – Kindness/Atawha, Excellence/Hiranga, Respect/Whakaute, Integrity/Ngākau Pono. Theses are all around our school, on messaging, posters, signage and on our playgrounds.
At the beginning of each term, or when we have visitors we always welcome our new visitors, students and staff with a Pōhiri. This involves our whole kura, kapa haka rōpu, mau rākau rōpu and hine toa rōpu.
All of our hui begin with karakia, our sharing of kai starts with a karakia kai, our emails and letters to whānau have dual language for our community. On our board we have a Māori whānau representative, they begin their hui with karakia, all of the board members have their own pepeha and share this when meeting with staff.
In 2025 we starting a bilingual unit that has come about from feedback from our community and whānau hui that is hosted each term. All staff have been encouraged to be involved and have had opportunity to upskill in te ao Māori with the support of the board, principal and leadership.
All of these approaches and initiatives have brought about a culture of support and encouragement towards our Māori whānau and as a staff we are growing our cultural competencies.
Kia ora koutou,
“In what ways could a visitor to your school see that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to school culture and /or school governance?”
This is an interesting provocation as it makes me reflect on what is ‘on show’ and what is informing things behind the scenes.
I can think of many school practices that a visitor to our kura may experience that would be reflective of our commitment to Te Tiriti. These are very visual things such as our termly mihi whakatau for new learners, our recent full school farewell haka for Year 13s, and embedding karakia, mihi and waiata as common practice for hui, assemblies and prizegiving. These are all great things that add to our school culture and help to create an inclusive environment.
I think what a visitor may not see however, which is equally important, is the way that a commitment to Te Tiriti is enacted in decision making at different levels of our kura. An example of this is the support shown by the BOT to staff who apply for PLD or study opportunities to upskill in te reo and te āo Maori. Another example would be observing our Principal getting support from some of our senior reo learners, practicing hard so she could ‘nail’ her mihi to mana whenua- with confidence. A further example would be our careers department who work really hard to put opportunities out there for our Māori learners, providing options for pathways and providing access to support networks with a cultural focus. Not to mention our kaiako who routinely go above and beyond : )
It is the small actions, as well as the big actions, that help to keep Te Tiriti as a central concept in our kura.
Ngā mihi.
In what ways does your current reporting reflect engagement with local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori?
Our school has engaged in implementing an increasing integration of bi-cultural practices in a range of contexts both within and outside of the school teaching and learning activites.
Incorporation of Māori Perspectives: Reports can include references to local tikanga (customs) and mātauranga Māori (knowledge) by highlighting how these elements influence teaching practices and learning outcomes. This might involve showcasing specific cultural practices or values relevant to the community.
Culturally Relevant Curriculum: Demonstrating how the curriculum integrates Māori content, such as language, history, and traditions, ensuring that students see their culture represented and valued.
Community Involvement: Reporting on collaboration with local iwi (tribes) and hapū (subtribes) can show commitment to incorporating community knowledge and perspectives into the educational environment.
Respect for Language: We include te reo Māori (the Māori language) in reports and communications affirms the importance of language preservation and promote bilingualism within the learning community.
Holistic Approaches: Acknowledging te ao Māori (the Māori world) through holistic educational practices that consider social, emotional, and spiritual well-being, not just academic achievement.
Professional Development: Training and resources for staff that focus on understanding and integrating tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori into their practice illustrates ongoing commitment to this engagement.
In what ways could a visitor to your school see that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to school culture and /or school governance?
I think my school is taking steps towards making Te Tiriti o Waitangi central to school culture and governance. This year, we put dual signage up at the entrance of our school, so a visitor would initially see that. When updates have been made to property, there are aspects of te ao Māori included in their design – for example our school bike track, which has been built into the side of a hill, has an area of fencing reminiscent of a pā site. When some classrooms were repainted with our new school values this year, a whare was also included in the mural.
While a visitor would notice these visual signs that Te Tiriti is central to school culture and governance, I think if they were to ask students or staff about it there would not be a common understanding about their meaning. For example, I don’t think many staff or students would be able to remember what the te reo Māori name of the school is, or be able to discuss the significance of the whare or pā fencing. These are aspects for us to work on as a school so that te ao Māori becomes meaningfully embedded into our school culture.
Kia ora Nicky.
Thanks for sharing. I connected with your comments in your last paragraph. I guess this level of shared understanding and connection to actions and initiatives is the difference between a ‘living’ school culture and an espoused school culture. Culture change is really a marathon so well done you, and your kura for taking the initial steps to create an environment more reflective of our bi-cultural context in Aotearoa.
As part of my role as Staff Rep on the board and supporting the CRP team in my school, this has been a big question for me this year. As part of that team, we advocated to the Board to implement a genuine policy review cycle that includes gathering whānau feedback through surveys, community meetings, or hui, and actively demonstrating how their input informs policy updates. A big part of this work was reworking the Te Tiriti policy away from the ‘Three Ps’ (Partnership, Participation, and Protection) toward principles like manaakitanga (respect), whanaungatanga (relationships), and rangatiratanga (self-determination) By focusing on these principles, policies become action-oriented without being operationally specific, but clearly support Māori and Pasifika engagement and achievement in the school community.
In what ways could a visitor to your school see that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to school culture and /or school governance?
If a visitor entered my school, they would immediately see how Te Tiriti o Waitangiis central to our school culture and governance this being from the bilingual signage at our entrance, to the karakias that open our school assemblies, staff meeting, and team gathering and also our commitment to honoring Māori culture and language is clear and present.
Te Reo Māori is used throughout the school—not only in formal communications but also woven into classroom routines and planning, where all teachers actively incorporate the language. Cultural events such as Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) and Matariki are celebrated schoolwide, inviting all students to engage in and deepen their understanding of these traditions.
The success and well-being of Māori students are prioritized in all areas of learning, with targeted support systems in place to help them achieve and thrive.
Our school is continually working to strengthen our understanding, seeking ways to further embed its principles within our values, practices, and community interactions.
In what ways could a visitor to your school see that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to school culture and /or school governance?
Partnership, Participation and Protection
We begin each day with a whole school Huihui including Karakia and our school song which is sung in Te Reo Māori. Each class also has Karakia kai before lunch. Each week our whole school attends Kapa Haka lessons run by tutors which focus on both waiata and tikanga. Te Reo Māori language is included meaningfully into our classroom programmes. Across the school we use tuakana-teina in different ways eg. buddy reading, sports, arts and inquiry activities. Student voice and choice are included within our classroom planning and programmes.
Our school values are an integral part of who we are and visible around our school in both English and Te Reo. As a school we value relationships and build these with students and whanau in different ways throughout the year. Each term we have a different event to connect with whanau and we celebrate Matariki with Kapa Haka performances and shared kai.
We have an iwi map in our school library which has each child in our school and where they come from. Pūrūkau are shared with our students and related back to the iwi that they originated from making connections for our tamariki.
We have whānau hui in which Māori whanau are invited in and we share our Māori achievement and progress data and ask some broad questions; what should we keep doing, stop doing, start doing. This feedback feeds into our annual and strategic plans.
As a staff we have been reading (Niho Taniwha: Improving Teaching and Learning for Ākonga Māori. Melanie Riwai-Couch) and using the questions within the book to guide our discussions and actions to further improve our cultural responsiveness.
Kia ora,
I found these questions challenging – thinking how our school authentically reflects Te Tiriti o Waitangi as central to school culture or how board documents reflect this. Great provocation and something I would like to look further into – especially in terms of governance/BOT side of things.
Our waiata, prayers and values are all translated into Te Reo, we always open and close meetings with karakia. Our walls are also lines with pepeha of staff. We have huis and a separate Māori graduation to recognise these Rangatira who identify as Māori. However, there are some systemic issues where students don’t always want to identify to their Māori kaupapa, and this is sad. Our SLT are on a journey of PL through Poutama Pounamu, which I am part of next year – linked to the keynote presentation Mere Berryman given to staff in June this year. One of the DP’s is leading this as part of her study with the intention the SLT will be in a position to deeply understand the implications and requirements to confidently implement Ka Hikitia – Ka Haapaitia in the school. I am really looking forward to this learning. A key goal is for our Māori students to walk into this school and be proud and safe to identify as Māori.
Knowing our school and being an integral part of our school, whether it be a teacher, student or whanau member, we are known by our very strong kapa haka. It consists of well over 100 students from Year 2-4 for junior and year 4-8 for the seniors. They are strong, confident and proud. Though we’ve most definitely had our dips over the years, we have move upwards again this year which is reassuring.
We are well supported by our local iwi of which we continue to be showered with history, knoweldge and new ideas through PD, to take into our classrooms, with our whole staff. Being part of MAC this year (Maori Achievment and Collective) has been a big learning step for myself. Daunting too but also very empowering. I have a teacher who is strong and knowledgeable who is continuing to work bheind the scenes with writing a plan for Te Reo to go across our school starting from next year. I learn from her and she is the knowledge and strength. I help by ensuring she has the time, resources and time to get things in place while knowing she has solid support.
Long and short, Te Tiriti is very important to us and keeping this at the forefront of our learning and ensuring our Maori children can be proud of who they are while ensuring respect and understanding is shared by everyone.
Our Kura is making small steps towards this, as we acknowledged late last year that ‘visually’ our kura is not showing this. We now have embedded a morning karakia and also opening and closing karakia at every meeting and assembly. However, our rebuild will have this embedded heavily as this is our opportunity to be more ‘visual’ rather than our 1960s concrete slab school.
During Staff PLD there is emphasis on cultural responsiveness and te reo use, along with a newly developed Matariki celebration concert for kura in our area to bring whānau to us in a celebration of culture.
Curriculum development has been focused on Matauranga Māori and te Ao Māori and this is supported through SLT and HOLAs, giving staff opportunities to collaborate with other kura to develop resources.
As a whole staff are onboard and willing to take this step, however, the rebuild is taking longer than expected (3rd Architect in!) so our physical environment is still very much behind, hopefully, when our physical environment eventually reflects our school culture there will be great things happening.
On reflection, my school has considerable progress to make in visibly integrating Te Tiriti o Waitangi into our culture and governance. Currently, there are few, if any, physical signs or practices that reflect the principles of partnership, protection, and participation central to Te Tiriti. This is due to the relationship between local iwi, mana whenua and the local marae being fractured some years ago.
To begin fostering a shift towards rebuilding a respectful and reciprocal relationship, in 2025 our school will start with visible bilingual signage and incorporating small but meaningful practices, such as incorporating a karakia and waiata to start the day. This will begin to bring tikanga Māori into our daily routines and honour cultural values in a manageable way. Additionally, updating our mission statements and governance documents to reflect Te Tiriti principles would signal our intent to build a more inclusive school culture. Enhancing classroom spaces with Māori language resources, posters, or historical materials could foster awareness and respect for Māori culture among students.
Once we have established respectful links with local iwi and mana whenua, we will look to visit local areas of significance and local marae as well as inviting Māori community members or leaders to engage with students could further establish a partnership that reinforces the bicultural foundation we seek to build.
These initial steps will create a stronger basis for a school environment where Te Tiriti is acknowledged not only in values but in visible actions, making it a genuine part of our culture and governance.
In what ways could a visitor to your school see that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is central to school culture and /or school governance?
Our school has come a long way in terms or honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We have morning Paepae which includes Karakia, Waiata, students reciting their Pepeha and organisation for the day. We are integrating reo throughout all curriculum areas by using Māori vocabulary. We have a strong Kapa Haka Rōpū and the whole school has 30 mins each week with our Kapa Haka tutors. We have just begun working with our local iwi, Ngāti Pāoa who have 3 different streams of learning. 1) a group of 8 students join with students in our cluster for Te Whare Tapere 2) Those 8 Māori students plus 8 more Māori student have a one hour session each week with Les who is teachign them to play softball using Māori vocabulary. This will end in a game against staff – students will be speaking in Māori only! 3) Ngāti Pāoa has developed PLD sessions for staff. We still have a long way to go, but I think we are doing a great job in honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
When sitting down to write this response, it was quite hard to find ways to show how Te Tiriti is central to our school culture, however, it is improving each year. A visitor to our school would notice that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is becoming increasingly embedded in our school culture, though we are early in this journey. Visual pepeha displays celebrate our students’ identities, while morning karakia and waiata are part of our daily routines. Our main foyer also tells the story of how our local area was named, reflecting our local history.
Weekly whakatauki offer meaningful insights and support our goal of adopting a school-wide proverb aligned with our values. The Māori Achievement Collective has been instrumental in developing staff confidence through professional learning focused on Te Tiriti and Te Ao Māori. We celebrate Matariki with the community, creating shared experiences that deepen our cultural engagement. Each of these steps brings us closer to embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi at the heart of our school culture and governance.
Reflecting on how Te Tiriti o Waitangi is embedded in our school culture, we recognise that while we’re in the early stages, progress is evident each year. Our visual pepeha displays, morning karakia, and introduction of waiata. The main foyer highlights the story of our local area’s naming by local iwi, and a weekly whakatauki connects students and staff to Māori perspectives, with plans to adopt a school-wide proverb – our next step would be for students to know this as well, rather than it being just a display.
Staff professional development through the Māori Achievement Collective is building confidence in integrating Te Tiriti and Te Reo. We celebrate Matariki with our community, helping to strengthen cultural ties and engage in restorative practices that allow students to reflect on their actions while maintaining their mana. These initiatives are building our capacity in this area, but we still have a long way to go!