Introduction

He Kōrero Whakataki - Introduction

This report presents a co-designed curriculum integration framework that reflects some of the key skills and knowledge that ākonga in Māori medium education settings seek to develop in preparation for their future pathways.

The framework was developed through a co-design process with kaiako from the Māori medium education sector. It is presented through three metaphorical images. The first sets the scene for a journey to Hawaikihou (the new Hawaiki)¹ and is the catalyst from which the framework is designed.

The second is a guided map, which uses a Māori knowledge system to capture and reflect the aspirations of ākonga, kaiako, whānau, community, hapū, iwi and the Ministry of Education (the Ministry). This is where the original three key focus areas of civics/democratic rights and responsibilities, financial literacy and budgeting and key workplace competencies are articulated in a format that has been suggested by the participants of the sector engagement research and co-design workshop.

The third, and most complex, is a korowai that denotes the learning outcomes and achievements of the raukura – ākonga who graduate from Māori medium education settings. This is where the key focus areas of the Ministry, the suggested focus areas of the Māori medium education sector and the hopes and aspirations of the learner are woven together. This is presented as a korowai, which adorns the learner with all of the lessons, knowledge and tools that they need to become a successful adult.

The curriculum integration happens in this section through the identification of relevant wāhanga ako and how these relate directly to the learning outcome statements. These wāhanga ako have been scaffolded to align with the learning outcome statements that the kaiako created during our co-design workshop. This set of six learning outcome statements is presented as a destination for the learner – an aspiration for the kura community in which they have grown and an investment by the Ministry and whānau who have supported their journey towards this achievement.

It is intended that this framework will be used to support the development and integration of the School Leavers’ Toolkit into the Māori medium education sector. During the sector engagement part of this research, it became apparent that there is evidence that all kura are using different approaches².

With this in mind, we were able to move away from our initial concept to create a broad framework for each of the curriculum areas which would be articulated as four separate documents. Instead, we have been able to devise a solution that we feel transcends these, through the benefits of an authentic, ako-based co-design process.

The framework presented here is this solution. Through the metaphor of a graduate korowai, each curriculum can be amalgamated to ensure interpretation and use by all Māori medium education settings.

1. The concept of Hawaikihou is attributed to Dr. Eru Tarena, who coined the phrase at He Huinga Raukura – Kura arareo Māori Pathway Expo that HUIA attended on 9 May 2019 at Te Hapua Community Centre – Hallswell, Christchurch.
2. Including Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, Te Marautanga o Te Aho Matua and The New Zealand Curriculum.