Te Whakahou i Te Marautanga o Aotearoa FAQ English

In 2018, through surveys and wānanga as part of Kōrero Mātauranga – Education Conversation, we engaged with kaiako, parents, whānau, ākonga and communities who said that Māori were seeking flexible, holistic teaching practices that cater to all learning styles, rather than a “one size fits all” approach.

Additionally, we were told that kura have found it challenging to realise the aspirations of their marau-ā-kura within the context of a largely subject-based framework

In 2019, the Curriculum, Progress and Achievement Ministerial Advisory Group (CPA MAG) recommended we review Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and to “work with the Māori-medium sector to define a new curriculum framework policy for Māori-medium education that validates mātauranga Māori and promotes a child-centered curriculum with a broader definition of success”.

As a result, Te Marautanga o Aotearoa will be redesigned in collaboration with kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education experts, leaders, kaiako, ākonga, whānau and iwi to develop a national curriculum that:

• reflects all that kura, whānau and iwi value most
• enables a broader definition of success
• provides holistic and integrated learning and teaching programmes.

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, as we know and understand it, will change and evolve into a future-focussed curriculum that will be more authentically indigenous, holistic, ākonga-focussed, and support marau ā-kura.

If you have any thoughts on what the new curriculum should look like, we invite you to fill out our survey or email us at whakahou.marautanga@education.govt.nz.

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, as it is today, was last redeveloped from 2004-2008. It was then implemented alongside the New Zealand Curriculum in 2008-2009. A new strand of Hangarau, Hangarau Matihiko, was developed in 2015.

In addition, Te Takanga o Te Wā, a new strand of Tikanga ā-Iwi, was developed in 2019-2021 and is currently being implemented.

The redesign is expected to take 5-6 years. We anticipate the new curriculum and supporting material, which will include aromatawai and Te Takanga o Te Wā content, to be implemented in kura from 2025.

Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura is the framework we are using to guide the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. It also informs Hei Raukura Mō te Mokopuna, a strategy for te reo matatini and pāngarau, and will inform any supporting work such as aromatawai, rauemi and whakangungu kaiako (PLD).

It is developed from a Māori world view, reflecting Māori values and what whānau want for their children as Māori, as well as global citizens. It does this by placing ākonga at the centre of learning while recognising their place as mokopuna and as ancestors for the future. As the MAG 2019 states, “To understand Māori-medium education is to understand that the child is the carrier of hopes and aspirations between past and future generations. The expression, ‘Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura’’, captures the essence of this notion”.

The framework has four essential pou (pillars), which aim to make it clear, simple, and reflective of the things happening within kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education, highlighting the things we value and believe are paramount for our ākonga to learn.

The four pou are:

• He uri whakaheke te tamaiti – valued and significant learning handed down through generations, contributing to how ākonga Māori understand their identity
• He tangata te tamaiti – promotes and maximises the social, emotional, and cognitive potential of ākonga
• He puna kōrero te tamaiti – the ākonga as a speaker of te reo Māori, as a communicator, as an engager and evaluator of ideas
• He ākonga te tamaiti – the ākonga as a contributor to and creator of the world they will live in.

This framework is currently being introduced to kura across Aotearoa to test its effectiveness and that it supports marau-ā-kura. We will also use the learnings from this to identify supports needed during implementation.

A tīrewa is a scaffold or temporary structure from which something can be suspended. Traditionally, tīrewa were used to hang, hold or present things, such as food and fibres, as part of a drying or curing process. They were purpose-built and therefore were different shapes and sizes.

The function and structure of a tīrewa is a useful way to re-conceptualise Te Marautanga o Aotearoa as a structure from which teaching and learning can be affixed to, and in which kura can shape and build to reflect their own context. This assists kaiako to identify the learning we cannot leave to chance.

Conceptualising Te Marautanga o Aotearoa using a tīrewa framework, comprises of four components.

The first, depicted by the top rail, sets out the overarching goals, principles, philosophy and other ‘statements of intent’.

The second part refers to the end posts representing the four principles of Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura that give expression to the aspirations of whānau, hapū and iwi for their tamaiti:

• He ākonga te tamaiti (a learner)
• He tangata te tamaiti (a person)
• He uri whakaheke te tamaiti (a descendant)
• He puna korero te tamaiti (a communicator).

The third part of the tīrewa are the side rails, or Tīrewa Ako. The Tīrewa Ako provide indicators of progression through significant learning, illustrated as Tohu Ako.

Lastly, te tīrewa mātai or the curriculum monitoring framework is represented by the end braces of the tīrewa structure.

Together, the four components of the tīrewa would form a national curriculum for te reo Maori education settings, providing structure, cohesion, and connection for the development of local curriculum, marau ā-kura, marau a-rohe, and marau a-iwi.

Te Rōpū Whāiti is an advisory group made up of Māori education experts. They provide advice and guidance to Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | The Ministry of Education and working groups from the sector. They are supporting the direction, development, and implementation of the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

Te Rōpū Whāiti is currently made up of: Āwhina Gray, Hineihaea Murphy, Rawiri Toia, Tabitha McKenzie and Tony Trinick.

We are currently developing this in collaboration with Māori education experts, leaders, kaiako, ākonga, whānau and iwi.

So far, we have heard that we need to develop a national curriculum that:

• focusses on the values, areas, skills, and teachings that Māori believe are important for ākonga to learn and develop holistically, including te reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori
• supports the design, implementation and evaluation of marau ā-kura: a local curriculum that values the knowledge and aspirations of iwi, kura, and whānau
• provides a broader definition of success
• provides clarity about what is important to learn
• supports integrated learning and teaching programmes
• keeps the ākonga, their whānau, hapū and iwi front and centre
• ensures better coherence along the full education pathway
• prepares mokopuna for success in their future world.

If you have any feedback, please fill out our survey, or email us at whakahou.marautanga@education.govt.nz

The content or kaupapa of tīrewa ako is still under development and we will be gathering information about useful content/kaupapa for tīrewa ako over the next few years. While some kaupapa may become mandated, we are most interested in what you, the users and learners, think should be included. The proposed structure of tīrewa ako is described below:

The tīrewa would present, hold and support significant aspects of learning that can be easily seen by the kaiako, ākonga and whānau, represented as the horizontal rails, or Tīrewa Ako. The Tīrewa Ako provides indicators of progression through significant learning, illustrated as Tohu Ako.

Kura could construct and use their tīrewa ako in different ways – for example by:

• maintaining a wāhanga ako focussed approach, and including subjects like hangarau, te reo Māori, ngā toi, pāngarau, hauora, tikanga ā-iwi, pūtaiao, te reo Pākehā
• taking a wider focus to include personal attributes and dispositions (toi tangata), financial literacy (mātau ahumoni), local cultural literacies and knowledge (tikanga ā-hapū), environmental sustainability (taiao), or other bodies or knowledge
• a mix of these two approaches, for example, retaining some core wāhanga ako (te reo Pākehā, pūtaiao, hauora, ngā toi and reo Māori) but also valuing learning in terms of kaupapa like tikanga ā-hapū, toi tangata, and mātau ahumoni.

Kura may also choose to take different approaches at different times of the teaching and learning journey.

Tohu Ako are indicators of learning that are used as a part of Tīrewa Ako. They may be used by kaiako to monitor learning. Tohu Ako describes a key goal (whāinga), how that goal may be demonstrated by ākonga, and the learning that sits around it.

Kaupapa ako is a way to describe topical learning or learning through ideas broader than wāhanga ako or outside of traditional wāhanga ako. For example, kaupapa ako could be inquiry-based learning about Covid-19 which could incorporate aspects of pūtaiao, pāngarau, and/or tikanga-ā-iwi, along with skills and dispositions such as teamwork, caring for others, and mātauranga ā-iwi. Kaupapa ako may also comprise a single skillset or knowledge set such as financial literacy, whaikōrero, hapū knowledge, and so on.

We have not yet decided on which, if any, kaupapa ako will be mandated. We want to hear what you think.

However, we know that Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura is likely to be an integral part of the redesigned Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Whether it is woven through the curriculum, similar to the principles of Te Whāriki, or becomes its own kaupapa ako is to be decided.

Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura consists of four broader aspirations for ākonga for ākonga to be confident, competent, and successful:

• communicators (he puna kōrero te tamaiti)
• representatives of, and contributors to their whānau, hapū and iwi (he uri whakaheke te tamaiti)
• learners and thinkers (he ākonga te tamaiti)
• managers of their own wellbeing, relationships, and personal attributes (he tangata te tamaiti).

This model attempts to more explicitly align the marautanga ā-motu with marau ā-kura by moving the aspirations reflected in many marau ā-kura to the forefront of the marautanga ā-motu.

Alignment between Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and NCEA is important so that ākonga experience a coherent education system. The alignment between the Review of Achievement Standards (RAS) and the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (Te Marautanga o Aotearoa) will be strengthened through the following activities.

We will:

• bring together the RAS writers, the redesign team, and external experts on a regular basis to discuss the redesign, gain a shared understanding, and determine how the aspirations reflected through Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura will align to the relevant achievement standards
• review the communication approaches for the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and the RAS to ensure we have a shared story about how they align to each other
• use the outcomes collated through the current mini pilots to make adjustments to the achievement standards so they reflect the expectations set through the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura before piloting them again in 2023
• work with kaiako and tumuaki who are testing redesigned components of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa with practitioners who are piloting the Te Marautanga o Aotearoa achievement standards and use their feedback to help finalise curriculum content
• develop rangatahi forum that provides opportunities for them to inform the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and NCEA
• complete the realignment of the Tīrewa Ako for Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau with Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura and ensure progressions from the tīrewa through the outcomes in the co-requisites is evident for kaiako and ākonga
• ensure the ongoing review of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa aligns with the review of the Te Marautanga o Aotearoa NCEA achievement standards and the Te Reo Matatini and Pāngarau co-requisites.

Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura, the conceptual framework for the redesign, seeks to ensure coherence between the early learning curricula and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. There are parallels between the four aspects of Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura (hei uri whakaheke, hei ākonga, hei puna kōrero, hei tangata) and the strands of Te Whāriki. Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga is also researching transitions within kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education, and what part curriculum plays in successful transitions for young children.

In addition, we want to hear from you, as kaiako and parents. We welcome your thoughts on how to support the connection between Te Whāriki and the redesign Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

Who will be able to use the redesigned Te Marautanga o Aotearoa?

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa is part of the national curriculum for schooling and is available for all kura and schools to use. This will still be the case for the redesigned curriculum.

How are we going to support kura and kaiako to implement the redesigned Te Marautanga o Aotearoa?

An implementation strategy will be developed after the engagement and redesign phases are completed. We are currently in the engagement phase of the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. This means that we are seeking to engage with ākonga, whānau and kaiako to share their thoughts, ideas and input for the redesign of the curriculum.

During the redesign there will also be planned pilots with facilitators working alongside kaiako/kura leaders to determine the types of support required to implement the redesigned curriculum. This is a planned phased approach to ensure appropriate support is available.

The New Zealand Curriculum is being refreshed, so, the fundamental structure of this curriculum will remain the same but learning areas will be refreshed and clarified. This is different to the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa because we are building a more indigenous curriculum grounded in te ao Māori, based on the conceptual framework Te Tamaiti Hei Raukura. We are also exploring the place of wāhanga ako within the curriculum and may implement alternate ways of organising learning such as tīrewa ako.

See more about the refresh of The New Zealand Curriculum.

There are multiple national curricula and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa is one of them.

We may refer to the ‘national curriculum of schooling’ which refers to The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. National curricula are available for all kura/schools to access.

Te Whāriki is also a national curriculum, but it is mostly used for learning from ages 0-5.

Some schools may use other, more specialised curricula instead of or in addition to the national curriculum.

How can I be involved?

The journey to a redesigned curriculum requires the contribution and participation of ākonga, kaiako, kura, whānau, hapū and iwi. Advice from our communities is key to realising aspirations for mokopuna and creating real change for Aotearoa.

To find out about engagement opportunities and to have your say on what the new curriculum should look like, fill out our survey, or email us at whakahou.marautanga@education.govt.nz