As we celebrated Waitangi Day on Tuesday, there has been much discussion about Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Here at MGC we continue to work hard to support our rangatahi Māori be confident in who they are, understand where they have come from and to learn and flourish as Māori. While we understand that the Education Act 2020 requires us to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, our commitment is beyond an obligation and we know that our rangitahi, staff, school and community are all a better place when we:

• work to ensure that our plans, policies, and curriculum reflect local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori; and
• take all reasonable steps to make learning available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori; and
• work to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students.

We are very fortunate to work closely with our iwi partners, in particular Rangitāne, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Toa and Ngāti Kuia, to ensure that we are meeting the aspirations and expectations of Te Tauihu iwi. These are outlined in the taonga gifted to all Marlborough schools in early 2023 - Ngā Kawatau me ngā Tūmanakotanga o Te Tauihu. 

Our Year 9-11 connected curriculum reflects our place here at the top of the south, our  histories, and we continue to work towards ensuring learning is relevant and celebrates students' identity, language and culture.

Our Kaiako Māori, Whaea Nan Kahu Chadwick and Whaea Louisa King, along with the rest of our staff, provide strong leadership in tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and Te Ao Haka. As with many schools, we continue to search for another Kaiako Māori to join our team, to teach junior Te Reo Māori.

You may wish to read the blog from CORE Education about the similarities between the Māori and English version of Te Tiriti o Waitangi - it's a great start for discussion within your whānau or your workplace.

• Te Tiriti | What are the similarities between Māori and English versions?