Ngati Porou and the Ministry of Education

Purpose

The purpose of the relationship between Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou (TRONP) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) is to achieve better educational outcomes for children in the Ngāti Porou rohe. These include:

  • whānau, hapū and iwi involvement
  • quality teaching for the Ngāti Porou East Coast (NPEC) learning environment
  • raising expectations for Mātauranga Ngāti Porou and mainstream education.

Background

Both partners in this explicitly Treaty-based relationship at governance level began with a deliberately blank sheet and the will to look at innovative ways of engaging and developing a mutually beneficial relationship. They appreciate their shared education goals and respect those goals that each party needs to pursue on their own. Each partner is valued for their specific contributions which together enable more effective engagement for MOE in the rohe, and in the education and broader state sector for TRONP.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 1998 and in 1999 the iwi developed the Ngāti Porou curriculum guidelines to enable children to grow up as strong Ngāti Porou, Aotearoa/NZ and global citizens.

Roles

The iwi brings cultural capital, extensive networks and deep knowledge of their communities. 90 percent of the students in the schools are Māori, and most of those are Ngāti Porou, as are the majority of principals and staff. Iwi influence is growing with a collective voice as well as the voice of whānau and hapū at each school. The iwi is responsible for transmitting cultural knowledge to all Ngāti Porou in the iwi kainga and “ngā Nati’s kei waho.” They are happy to share their kōrero with others who choose to live amongst them, provided this gift is responded to appropriately.

MOE provides funding and systems for the 19 kura and schools in the rohe. In 2007 MOE revised the national curriculum, and all schools are required to develop a curriculum that is informed by, relevant to and responsive to the needs of their own local communities.

What happens

Cultural expectations from the iwi and MOE curriculum requirements have come together in this work, and education is seen as happening at home and on marae, not just at school. Ka Hikitia, Managing for Success/ Māori Education Strategy 2008 – 2012, published by MOE, is a strengths-based approach to Māori development where Māori succeed as Māori and the relevance of a Treaty-based approach is affirmed.

The partners’ discussions focus on strategic objectives and co-leadership. The co-chairs set the meeting agenda cooperatively and critical discussions include constant reviews and clarifications of the relationship, as well as educational achievements and issues. TRONP also belongs to the Iwi Education Partners Coalition, which has developed a relationship and partnership framework with MOE.

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The relationship is relevant to Article 14 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples which outlines the right of indigenous peoples to establish and control their educational systems and institutions, providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural traditions of teaching and learning.

What’s working well

Cultural context, confidence and identity are critical for children’s success in education. Investing in Mātauranga Ngāti Porou and education revitalises the iwi while contributing to educational success. This has a number of outcomes including cultural competencies and strengths-based relationship practices that contribute to the growth and maturity of this country.

The iwi – Ministry partnership is still evolving and strengthening. It is an example of the best practice and intrinsic value-based approach to relationship building, between indigenous people and those who come to live amongst them, which is inherent in the Treaty.

“This partnership is the benchmark set by Ngāti Porou for a Treaty-based relationship with government agencies,” explains a senior member of the TRONP management team. “Ngāti Porou has had 169 years of being a Treaty partner; we are day-to-day practitioners of the Treaty relationship, and so we engage with the Crown without compromise. The MOE – Ngāti Porou partnership is not perfect, but it is the best model we have seen and enacted. We can customise it for other Crown organisations who wish to have a relationship with us. It leads to consistency from the agency, rather than ad hoc approaches with no real commitment.”

Looking ahead

In 2004 the iwi presented the proposed Ngāti Porou Education Partnership Agreement to the Ministers of Education. Ngāti Porou proposed that a higher level of engagement should occur with the Board of the Rūnanga and the Ministers of Education, and that they would negotiate an agreed:

  • three year shared statement of intent in respect to education
  • Ngāti Porou – Vote Education budget
  • This high level agreement would be supported by and the MOU signed by the CE of the Rūnanga and the Secretary of Education on behalf of the Ministry.

The iwi is still waiting for the Crown’s decision.

Documentation

Follow these links to lean more about the relationship between Ngāti Porou and the Ministry of Education.

10 July 2009

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