Decolonising education is a strategic priority for NZCER, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides a framework for both Māori and non-Māori to work in partnership to decolonise education. In Aotearoa, decolonising education can refer to dismantling colonial systems, and challenging power dynamics and ways of thinking that negatively impact Māori. At the same time, decolonising education can also offer possibilities for social transformation that benefit Māori, and ultimately all peoples of Aotearoa.
Decolonising Education research project
NZCER has a specific project, named Te Purenga Ihomatua, Decolonising Education, that sits within the larger set of activities that give life to our strategic priority of decolonising education. The current focus of the project is to explore the meaning(s) of decolonisation, and its implications for every aspect of NZCER’s work and the work of the wider education sector. More detail can be found on the project page.
A collection of resources
The research teams at NZCER have developed resources that provide information and support people to take a decolonising lens to their thinking in a range of areas including reo Māori revitalisation, health and wellbeing, and resource development. The table below provides brief descriptions of the resources and links. New resources will be added to this collection as they become available.
Reflective questions to support critical conversations: A tool for pou reo
The reflective questions have been designed to support pou reo to have critical conversations in schools about issues and kaupapa that are important to consider when strategically planning to grow te reo Māori.
A rapid review of racism in schools: Working paper
This document is a working paper to inform the decision process about possible additional items for Wellbeing@School survey tools. It is a rapid review of recent key literature including meta-analyses and relevant New Zealand Aotearoa literature that addresses the following questions:
- What is racism?
- In what ways is racism experienced by students in Aotearoa New Zealand?
- What is known about evidence-based/effective strategies that schools are (or could be) using to address racism?
- How are students’ experiences of racism indicated or measured? Are there alternative ways of indicating or measuring racism?