Creating a sense of belonging to address the Māori success gap in Tertiary Education

1. He Whānau Ako:
Creating a sense of belonging to address the Māori success gap in Tertiary Education
Terry Kapua, MIS (Hons.), BMEd, Dip. Tchg., CTT
Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Pūkaki (Te Arawa)
Head of Department, Māori Development, Waiariki Institute of Technology, Rotorua

2. In this session
1. Responsibilities
2. The concept of Whānau
3. Strategies
4. Results

3. The Ministry of Education is
committedto give active expression to Te Tiriti
o Waitangi – the Treaty of
Waitangi.
•a commitment to working in partnership
•a duty to actively protect taonga (treasures)
•te reo Māori as a taonga

4. The overarching principles of the
Treaty include:
a duty to act reasonably,
honourably, and in good faith.

5. •Māori students as taonga (treasured things)
•their right to vital skills and knowledge
•the right of whānau (families), hapū (sub-tribes),
and iwi (tribes) to have an interest in the
education system
In education, these principles mean that the Treaty
provides legal protection for:

6. The Ministry of Education’s Treaty of Waitangi policy statement says-
...staff members are expected to support Māori
education success by:
•working in productive partnerships with,
and for, Iwi and Māori
•considering the identity, language, and
culture of Māori students

7. fam·i·ly /ˈfam(ə)lē/
A group consisting of parents and children living
together in a household.

8. Whānau (family)
Whānau is a Māori word for family, now widely understood
and becoming a component of New Zealand English,
particularly in official publications

9. As well as Genealogy (Whakapapa) based
whānau, there are also whānau who come together for a common
purpose.
Joan Metge (1995) defines the two kinds of whānau:
•Whakapapa-based whānau and
•Kaupapa-based whānau.
Metge, J. (1995). New growth from old. Wellington: Victoria University Press.

10. A group of learners not necessarily genealogically
related, is a ‘kaupapa-based’ whānau
i.e. He whānau ako

11. How can using the concept of ‘he
whānau ako’ address the gap?
It’s applicable across cultures, so it’s not just ‘the’ gap.
The concept of family/whānau transcends
culture and purpose .

12. Strategies Indigenization
Internationalization
Correct pronunciation of Māori and other non-English names
Knowledge of local iwi
Allow time for Karakia (prayer/incantation)
Encourage Waiata/song
Acknowledge other world views
Seek expression of experiences from other’s viewpoints

13. Strategy outcomes
confidence
Sense of Belonging
Pride
Whanaungatanga

14. Results (2012)
Dept. of Māori Development- 9 courses, average gap – 7.67%
Dept. of Social Sciences - 25 courses, average gap – 1.41%
MAOR.5010: 0.84%
(Mixed class, domestic, international, Māori)

15. “We liked the class. A lot of the Māori world view
is the same as our world view”
First year ECE student from India