Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti
Next week Wellington will see the coming together of both North and South Island Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti in the city and with that the likelihood of some disruption due to growing numbers participating. Our local Wellington Education office has been coordinating with the agencies involved in managing the logistics and working alongside schools to support their planning and preparation.
As the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti has progressed we’ve been working with schools and kura across the motu, responding to requests for clarity around roles and responsibilities. So, we’re taking this opportunity to share guidance with all schools and kura as a reminder, and to support your planning for future events.
Thank you for the great work that has been happening to help avoid any potential disruptions to student learning and assessment from this event.
Schools must be open for instruction
All schools need to be open for instruction during the Hīkoi. This means that there is organised learning in place for all students, and teachers are available to actively facilitate students’ learning.
Education outside the classroom
If your school is planning to participate in an off-site educational activity related to the Hīkoi, you need to follow your usual EOTC policies and procedures. This includes getting permission from parents and caregivers, completing a risk assessment and making appropriate arrangements for health and safety including arranging adequate adult supervision. As with any EOTC, there should be clear links made to curriculum and learning outcomes. Schools also need to provide learning for students who are not attending the activity.
Political neutrality
As crown entities, schools and kura are required to be politically neutral. This makes sure that educational environments remain impartial. We encourage you to consider effective channels for reminding staff of this requirement. Advice is available through the New Zealand School Board’s Association/Te Whakaroputanga Kaitiaki o te Kura o Aotearoa.
Students who don’t attend school because of the Hīkoi
As you know, boards are responsible for determining whether a student’s absence is justified or not. Our advice is that unless a student is engaged in school-organised activities related to learning, their absence should be considered unjustified.
Access to schools and exam centres
We also recommend that planning includes the potential for disruption for students sitting NCEA exams. Schools with students who have an exam while the Hīkoi is in their area should advise students to be prepared for it to take longer than usual to get to their exam. You should encourage students to allow extra travel time or plan an alternative route.
If a student does not attend an exam because they are on the Hīkoi they will not be eligible for a derived grade.
If a student is late to an exam because of an unforeseeably significant transport delay, the school should contact NZQA to discuss the situation.
New Zealand Police are the lead agency for communicating about potential travel disruption (including public transport) and public safety.
