Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural responsiveness in my practice.
There is evidence to say that Maori spend less time at school than that of their Pakeha counterparts, either because they have a poor attendance rate, have poor behaviour in class which prevents them from learning. They also tend to choose subjects that are more practical such as cooking, PE, Art or trades than academic subjects such as Maths, Science, Accounting to name a few. Due to Maori not having as good of an education than other cultures, they tend to be unemployed or if they do get employment then on average the jobs they do get, are minimum wage. According to research, " Māori student achievement levels are low, and they are overrepresented in lower track and in special education programs for behavioural issues. Māori are more likely than other students to leave school early with fewer formal qualifications and are less likely to enrol in university-level education (Bishop et al., 2009).
I work in a Kura Kaupapa Māori, which enrol students who identify as Maori and who can speak fluent Te Reo Maori. A Kura Kaupapa Māori is a Māori language immersion school, which is grounded in Māori customs and traditions. They cater to the needs and expectations of Māori for their children’s education. The foundation and driving force of this kura is a document called Te Aho Matua. This document contains all of the principles by which Kura Kaupapa Māori identify themselves as a unified group, who are committed to a unique schooling system which they regard as being vital to the education of their children. Te Aho Matua provides policy guidelines for parents, teachers and Boards of Trustees in their respective roles and responsibilities (Education Review Office/Te Rūnanga Nui, 2008).
So the question; "How does the school ensure its vision, mission and core values reflect cultural responsiveness?" Because the foundation of our school is Te Aho Matua, this helps us cater to all the cultural needs of the students.
The document has 6 topics: TE IRA TANGATA: this focuses on the nature of humankind, and more particularly on the nature of the child.
TE REO: is about language policy and how Kura Kaupapa Māori can best advance the language learning of their children.
NGÄ IWI: this focuses all those people with whom the student interact as they make sense of their world and find their rightful place within it.
TE AO :this focuses on the world which surrounds children and which there are fundamental truths which affect their lives.
AHUATANGA AKO: Taken altogether, the perception of children being central in an ever expanding world of experience which is accessed through the people with whom they associate and language, the implications for the curriculum become evident.
TE TINO UARATANGA: focuses on what the outcome might be for children who graduate from Kura Kaupapa Māori.
What I think our school needs improvement on is, "How do the school curriculum and resources reflect content from a variety of cultures and ethnic groups?" This is an important question, as I feel we are not exposing the students to anything else except Māori. We have Māori themed work and link lessons to being Māori, but when they leave us, the question is, are they culturally responsive?
So the question; "How does the school ensure its vision, mission and core values reflect cultural responsiveness?" Because the foundation of our school is Te Aho Matua, this helps us cater to all the cultural needs of the students.
The document has 6 topics: TE IRA TANGATA: this focuses on the nature of humankind, and more particularly on the nature of the child.
TE REO: is about language policy and how Kura Kaupapa Māori can best advance the language learning of their children.
NGÄ IWI: this focuses all those people with whom the student interact as they make sense of their world and find their rightful place within it.
TE AO :this focuses on the world which surrounds children and which there are fundamental truths which affect their lives.
AHUATANGA AKO: Taken altogether, the perception of children being central in an ever expanding world of experience which is accessed through the people with whom they associate and language, the implications for the curriculum become evident.
TE TINO UARATANGA: focuses on what the outcome might be for children who graduate from Kura Kaupapa Māori.
What I think our school needs improvement on is, "How do the school curriculum and resources reflect content from a variety of cultures and ethnic groups?" This is an important question, as I feel we are not exposing the students to anything else except Māori. We have Māori themed work and link lessons to being Māori, but when they leave us, the question is, are they culturally responsive?
References
Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanagh, T. & Teddy, L. (2009).Te Kotahitanga: Addressing educational disparities facing Māori students in New Zealand. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25(5),734–742.
Horomia, P, (2008). OFFICAL VERSION OF TE AHO MATUA O NGA KURA KAUPAPA MĀORI AND AN EXPLANATION IN ENGLISH.
Horomia, P, (2008). OFFICAL VERSION OF TE AHO MATUA O NGA KURA KAUPAPA MĀORI AND AN EXPLANATION IN ENGLISH.
Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994
Image:
http://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/cover-Evaluation-indicators-in-Te-Aho-Matua-Kura-Kaupapa-Maori.JPG
http://www.ero.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/cover-Evaluation-indicators-in-Te-Aho-Matua-Kura-Kaupapa-Maori.JPG
Fair question Jade. Whanau opt for their students to attend kura to get a grounding in Maori language and culture. But in order to get a broad sense of their 'being' as members of a global community 'Nga Iwi' or 'Te Ao' provides recourse to pursue broader experiences. Probably including 'another culture study' in the kura's Social Studies programme is a great way to ensure some continuity so the experience can occur annually. Several years ago we had a cross-cultural exchange with an Australian aboriginal girls boarding school from Melbourne. The connections remain strong and the experiences for the students were invaluable.
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