The school will open next term in Ruatāhuna. Photo / Alan Gibson
The school will open next term in Ruatāhuna. Photo / Alan Gibson
Tūhoe will open a charter school in the heart of Te Urewera forest next term.
At the school, to be called Te Kura Awhitu, students will learn the basics like maths, reading and writing like any other students but they will also be able to use the forest asa classroom.
They will learn about natural sciences, biodiversity and geography in a manner that incorporates their iwi traditions and knowledge (think waterway management at local rivers, environmental change from the forest and whakapapa or ancestral connections to the land).
Associate Education Minister David Seymour, who has long heralded charter schools, said “Tūhoe and the Crown stood apart for generations” and the school marked “a significant step forward” for that relationship.
David Seymour says Te Kura Awhitu will prepare its students for modern life from traditional roots. Photo / Mark Mitchell
That relationship has indeed been fraught. When the iwi and Crown signed a settlement in 2013, education was a key feature.
Settlement documents include commitments between the Ministry of Education and the iwi to ensure “Tūhoe learners in the rohe (area) will experience education that is uniquely and consistently Tūhoe while also having access to broader learning and knowledge systems with their own unique purpose and value”.
Those 2013 documents also include commitments to keep the iwi abreast of charter school developments and to consider international developments in charter school education.
Chairman of the Tūhoe iwi authority Te Uru Taumatua, Tāmati Kruger, described the school as an important continuation of reconnection of Tūhoe people to Te Urewera and a means of “taking responsibility for the future of our tamariki and all the families within our homeland”.
“It’s an opportunity to use the skills of our own qualified people within Te Urewera to establish learning and Tūhoe culture at the centre of our communities.”
Chairman of the Tūhoe iwi authority Te Uru Taumatua, Tāmati Kruger. Photo / Supplied
Seymour said Te Kura Awhitu would prepare its students for modern life from traditional roots.
“Autonomy is important to Tūhoe, and the charter school model enables this. It means Tūhoe can embed their tikanga, language, values, environment, and cultural identity into the curriculum,” he said.
The school would offer a full Māori immersion education, and the curriculum would be based on the philosophy and guiding principles drawn from the Te Urewera environment, he said.
The school would use NCEA achievement standards for learning.
“Natural science learning will be taught against achievement standards in biology, environmental studies, or agriculture. A learning module on water restoration, for example, may earn credits in sustainability, science and history.”
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.
