✨ Māori Education Policy
744 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 32 22 FEBRUARY 2008
• emphasise that children be secure in their knowledge about their own people but learn about and acknowledge other people and their societies.
• emphasise that children study the historical, cultural, political, social, religious and economic events and issues which are an integral part of their Māori heritage.
• emphasise that whānau ties are fundamental in the socialisation of children and are established and reinforced in a caring, supportive environment where aroha is evident.
• assert that such learning is caught rather than taught and is the primary reason for the kura whānau to be close to and involved in the activities of the children.
• emphasise that the association and interaction of the whānau with the children, where whānau approval or disapproval is felt by the children, is also where their sense of appropriate and acceptable behaviour begins.
• value the participation of whānau as administrators, ancillary staff and teacher support as a means of reinforcing the cohesion of whānau and kura.
• affirm that the kura belongs to the whānau and is available for the learning activities of all the whānau members.
• assert that teacher training is a legitimate function of the kura and that aspiring teachers have extended experience in the kura before and during formal training.
• submit that the size of the kura is a factor in facilitating or mitigating against the participation of whānau.
PART 4
TE AO
Having established the nature of children, their language learning and the people who influence their socialisation, this part of the document focuses on the world which surrounds children and about which there are fundamental truths which affect their lives.
Young children are naturally fascinated by every aspect of the natural world which enter their expanding field of experience. The task for the kura whānau is maintaining this fascination and optimising those experiences which contribute to their understanding and appreciation of the natural environment and the interconnectedness of everything within it.
Further to this, children need also to understand that the activities of people, including themselves, can have a detrimental effect on the environment and its resources.
In summary, then, Te Ao encompasses those aspects of the world itself which impact on the learning of children. Kura Kaupapa Māori therefore:
• recognise that the learning of children encompasses what enters their field of experience at home, in the Māori world and in the world at large.
• legitimise Māori knowledge of nature and the universe as an important and integral part of learning.
• encourage children to marvel at and value all life forms, and the balance of nature which gives each of those life forms its right of existence.
• develop in children an understanding that they are caretakers of the environment and are true to the laws of conservation passed down by their Māori forebears, as well as those practices which are environmentally friendly.
• inspire children to explore the natural and cosmic laws of the universe through the sciences and whatever means enhances understanding.
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Online Sources for this page:
VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 2008, No 32
Gazette.govt.nz —
NZ Gazette 2008, No 32
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
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Official Version of Te Aho Matua o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori and Explanation in English
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🎓 Education, Culture & ScienceEducation Policy, Māori Language, Kura Kaupapa Māori, Te Aho Matua, Te Ira Tangata, Bilingual Competence, Language Policy, Total Immersion, Whānau, Cultural Heritage, Teacher Training, Environmental Education, Natural World