By Tawehi Munro
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated's education specialists have worked to refresh its Mātauranga/Education Strategy for the past 24 months, which was approved and ratified by the Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Board at their bi-monthly hui held on Friday, September 25.
Plans are now under way for its implementation
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Although there have been slight changes over time, the education system is still failing Māori.
Therefore, a variety of strategic objectives, priorities, goals and recommendations are discussed throughout the refreshed strategy, which aims to advance education aspirations, achievements and successes, further growing holistic wellbeing for ākonga, whānau, hapū and iwi throughout Kahungunu and beyond.
Six priorities have been identified and are based upon past and current Kahungunu voice, previous report findings, as well as an extensive review of what the current research is showing. These priorities are:
1. Te Tiriti o Waitangi
2. Te Reo me ōna Tikanga
3. Te Mātauranga
4. Te Whanaungatanga
5. Te Rangatiratanga
6. Tipuria te Aroha
Each priority is likened to an aho or thread, woven together alongside the strategic objectives creating a robust and vigorous whāriki from which the goals and recommendations can better flourish, as well as fulfil the following:
• Further advance education aspirations for all Māori learners living throughout Kahungunu; and taurahere Kahungunu whānau living beyond Kahungunu,
• Better enable our tamariki, mokopuna and whānau to remain within education, as well as assure an enjoyable education journey for them,
• Further redress the persisting impacts of colonisation that continue to plague Māori, and
• Demonstrate, by Kahungunu for Kahungunu educational pathways to better address educational issues.
The Strategy Report (2020) can be viewed in its entirety or in summary format by linking to https://www.kahungunu.iwi.nz/tr---education. This Mātauranga Refresh Strategy Report should be read alongside the report on Māori Education in Ngāti Kahungunu (NKII, 2018), which clearly outlines Māori education narratives throughout Ngāti Kahungunu, and suggests findings that align to Goals and Recommendations within this report.
• Tawehi Munro is education manager