Māori and education

Whānau are integral to the educational wellbeing of Māori students in English-medium education. However, very little Māori educational research has been carried out with an explicit focus on identifying the critical issues for whānau in education. This article presents whānau aspirations in English-medium education, and identifies elements that advance whānau educational aspirations. The article concludes with reflective questions that aim to help teachers keep whānau involved in their teaching work.

Marae ā-kura (school marae) have been part of the New Zealand educational landscape for nearly 30 years. Marae ā-kura began amidst the wider kaupapa of cultural regeneration; they are also a response to state school policies of assimilation, integration and Taha Māori. Marae ā-kura represent the aspirations of Māori as well as the Government’s aspirations for Māori. This article considers two strands in the whakapapa of marae ā-kura: a Māori-led initiative to revitalise Māori language and culture in schools; and the Government’s selective inclusion of Māori culture in the curriculum.

Ka nui te rekareka o Te Wāhanga ki te tuku i tēnei putanga motuhake o set, ko Te Haere a ngā Ākonga Māori i ngā Ara Rapu Mātauranga te arotahinga. Katoa ngā tuhinga o tēnei putanga, mō ngā kaupapa rangahau e tāpae kōrero ana ki te ao rapu mātauranga o Aotearoa, he kitenga rangahau ko te taunakitanga tonu tōna tūāpapa. Hei aha? Hei whakapai ake i te takahi haere a ngā ākonga Māori me ō rātou whānau i ngā ara kimi mātauranga o Aotearoa.

On June 12, 1982, a little book with a long title, Ko Ngā Kupu Pū Noa o te Reo Māori: The First Basic Māori Word List, was launched by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. The 'basic-ness' of the words included in the book (there are about 800 of them) was determined by a combination of how often they occurred and how well they were distributed in the sources from which they were gathered. This article outlines the way in which the Basic Word List was developed and organized.

Male teachers, school fires, science education, raising possibilities for Māori students, John Hattie on teacher effectiveness—these are all part of the rich smorgasbord of articles in this issue of set: Research Information for Teachers. There are plenty of research “calories” here.