– MĀORI ACHIEVEMENT COLLABORATIONS (MACs) SET TO FLY Liz Hawes
EDITOR
One of the great highlights for NZPF in 2015 was the Minister’s announcement that Government would fund a Te Pītau Mātauranga or National Co-ordinator position for our Māori Achievement Collaborations (MACs) and continue to fund the very popular MAC programme. Hoana Pearson, formerly principal of Newton School in Auckland, was appointed to the position. What is unique about the MAC programme is that it is culturally transformational, and was designed by principals for principals with a view to supporting Māori children in our schools to succeed as Māori.
social expectation however – to further entrench the position of Māori at the lower end of the social scale. In the twenty-first century, as a growing body of research developed in our universities and polytechnics through the disciplines of Māori studies, sociology, educational sociology and social anthropology, researchers began to uncover the processes by which so many Māori had come to take their place in New Zealand society as educational and social under-achievers. One key hypothesis promoted through this scholarship was that Māori children in schools where their Māori identity and
Nathan Mikaere Wallis educates his audience at the Hui
Hui participants soak up some cranial wisdom from Nathan Mikaere Wallis
The idea that our education system has never been sufficiently receptive to Māori learners has long haunted politicians, education professionals and Māori communities. Māori education has drawn a number of responses throughout history. Nineteenth century educators subscribed to the notion that Māori were singularly unsuited to academic endeavours and should be guided into labouring and agricultural work because they were most likely to hold a working class position in society for many years to come. Simultaneously, Māori language, teachings and practices were forbidden in the school environment and in the main eradicated from common usage. Unhappily, these attitudes are the legacy which followed Māori into urban mainstream schools in the twentieth century. This era showed no more signs of enlightenment for Māori students than we saw in the previous era. Deficit theories abounded so that Māori children not succeeding were described as somehow lacking skills or capability for learning. Many were exposed to interventions which unsurprisingly made little if any difference, except to remind Māori children that they were not good enough to succeed. Māori children’s schooling experiences did fulfil one
cultural practices are accepted as normal and valued alongside Pākehā culture will achieve higher levels of success than where a single Pākehā culture exists. In other words where both Māori and Pākehā world views are adopted as legitimate and valid, both races of children will flourish and learn. A political light was shone on Māori in 2008 when the newly elected Government stated its determination to lift school success for Māori through the introduction of a system of national standards. Most principals were sceptical that national standards would achieve this outcome, but they did applaud the goal. Meanwhile, very good publications such as Ka Hikitia, the Māori strategy, Tātaiako, the cultural competencies and Tū Rangatira, the Māori guide for leadership were developed by the Ministry of Education and distributed to schools across the country. Every one of these publications expressed elements that could lead to positive cultural change for schools, transforming them into bicultural entities in which Māori children’s learning could blossom. Regrettably, instead of being put to work to transform school culture, these publications were shelved to gather dust in principals’ book cases because they were not
Hoana Pearson the newly appointed Te Pītau Mātauranga for the MAC programme
accompanied by any form of professional learning support, on a cultural learning journey which changes their hearts and leaving principals with no guidance as to how to implement minds. The guiding principle driving the MACs is whānau and them. whānaungatanga, which at its simplest level refers to a web What was missing amounted to a mechanism by which schools of inter-relationships. It is about relationships at many levels, could incorporate an additional world view, a Māori world view, connections, commitments and responsibilities. A set of values into their school culture. Urgent action was needed and NZPF underpin the collaborations including courage, honesty, trust, seized the challenge. After two respect and commitment. These years of reflecting and planning, A set of values underpin the are necessary for principals NZPF together with Te Akatea, joining collaborations because the Māori Principals’ Association, collaborations including all participants confront their and the Ministry of Education own cultural beliefs and values courage, honesty, trust, launched the concept of the Māori and in turn become open to Achievement Collaborations respect and commitment. examining and accepting the (MACs). validity of another world view, a MACs are a professional development programme, developed Māori world view. It can be a personally confronting experience for principals, by principals and delivered to principals by and having the trust and support of colleagues who are on the principals. They have been operating now for two years. Te same journey is critical. Ara Hou is the term used to define the Māori Achievement Each collaboration or cluster has a facilitator, a principal who Collaborations (MACs) and broadly means ‘The new pathway’. ‘walks with and beside the participants’. These facilitators visit The overall aim of the MACs is to take willing principals the schools of participants and help them develop strategic and
Motu ki Owae Marae, Waitara, where the second MAC hui wānanga was held
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action plans. They also facilitate full-day cluster workshops at each of the participant’s schools, provide professional development for staff and contribute to an annual hui which participants from all clusters attend. After two years, the whole programme has been reported on and independently evaluated by a group of Auckland University academics. The programme has emerged in the brightest of lights, showing convincing signs it is making a positive difference. This has given the Minister confidence that the MACs have a future in transforming our school cultures and providing an environment within which Māori students can succeed as Māori. The MACS were established prior to the concept of Communities of Learning (CoLs) and those original MACs will continue unchanged. In future, principals who might already be members of a CoL can join an existing MAC as well. Further, if all the participants of a new CoL decide to have Māori student achievement as one of their achievement challenges, they can access the MAC programme as a whole group, providing that their principal leader is trained as a MAC facilitator. There are no barriers to joining the programme, only a willingness to embark on the journey. Up until now, we have not had the guaranteed funding to be in a position to expand the programme, despite a deluge of inquiries. Now that we do and have appointed Hoana as Te Pītau Mātauranga, we can expand. If you or your regional association think the MAC programme is what you have been searching for then find out more. Contact Hoana Pearson: hoana.pearson@nzpf.ac.nz mob: 021 0664 152.
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