by Lesley Brook

Educational aspirations - He wāwata mātauranga

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We need to work with, not for, Māori to fulfill their aspirations for educating rangatahi. Me mahi tahi ki ngāi Māori, hei aha te mahi mō ngāi Māori, hei whakatūtataki i ō rātou wawata kia whakaako rangatahi.

One of the goals of Te Pūkenga is to enable Maori to succeed. Systems and programmes across the former polytechnics and Industry Training Organisations are to be redesigned to remove barriers for Māori learners. As a network of regions and campuses, Te Pūkenga is also expected to respond to local issues and aspirations. For Otago Polytechnic that means building on our existing strong relationship with Kāi Tahu.

Stacey Gullen-Reynolds, a Facilitator for Capable NZ, undertook a research project for our Kaitohutohu office to learn the aspirations of mana whenua with respect to Te Pūkenga. Her interviews revealed that:

  • A relationship with mana whenua must be mana to mana.
  • Mana whenua want to partner with Te Pūkenga but do not have the capacity on the ground.
  • Mana whenua trust Māori learners will be looked after by Te Pūkenga, so it is important to ensure that staff have the cultural capability to work with them and that the environment affirms Kai Tahu culture.
  • Mana whenua wish to collaborate to find innovative ways to educate and support whānau who aspire to live and learn on the kāik.

This work is worth resourcing to achieve Māori educational success and a promising future for highly skilled and qualified Māori workers and their employers.

Ko tētahi o ngā whāinga o Te Pūkenga, kia tutuki pai a ngāi Māori. Ka whakaahua anō ngā pūnaha me ngā hōtaka ki ngā kuratini me ngā Industry Training Organisations kia tango i ngā ārai. Hei whatunga ā-rohe, ā-umanga, me whakautu hoki a Te Pūkenga ki ngā take ā-rohe, ki ngā wawata ā-rohe. Mō Te Kura Matatini ki Otago, me whakawhanake haere i te hononga kaha kē ki Kāi Tahu.

Ka aro a Stacey Gullen-Reynolds, he kaitakawaenga mō Capable NZ, i tētahi kaupapa ranghahau mō te tari o te Kaitohutohu kia mōhio i ngā wawata o mana whenua e pā ana ki Te Pūkenga. E ai ki āna uiuinga:

  • Me mana-ki te-mana te hononga ki mana whenua.
  • Kei te hiahia a mana whenua ki te mahi tahi ki a Te Pūkenga, heoi, kāore ā rātou kaimahi ā-ringa.
  • Ka whakawhirinaki a mana whenua, ka tiakina ngā tauira Māori e Te Pūkenga, nō reira, me mātua mau ngā kaimahi i te āheitanga ki te mahi tahi ki a rātou, ā, he wāhi tika ā-Kāi Tahu.
  • Ka hiahia a mana whenua ki te mahi tahi kia whai momo auaha hei whakaako, hei tautoko hoki i ngā whānau e hiahiatia ana kia noho, kia ako ki te kāik.

He mahi whakahirahira tēnei kia whakatutuki mātauranga pai a ngāi Māori, kia whakawātea i te ara mō ngā kaimahi Māori me ō rātou kaituku mahi ki te whai i tētahi wāheke pitomata. 

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