Guiding principles

Five guiding principles steer Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success

The Treaty of Waitangi

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013-2017 gives expression to how the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi (the Treaty) are applied in education.

The Treaty provides a context for the relationship between the Crown, iwi and Māori. Ensuring Māori students enjoy and achieve education success as Māori is a joint responsibility of the Crown (represented by the Ministry of Education and other education sector agencies) and iwi, hapū and whānau.

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013-2017 emphasises the power of collaboration and the value of working closely with iwi and Māori organisations to lift the performance of the education system.

Māori potential approach

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013-2017 asserts that every Māori student has the potential to make a valuable social, cultural and economic contribution to the wellbeing of their whānau, their community and New Zealand as a whole.

Students who are expected to achieve and who have high (but not unrealistic) expectations of themselves are more likely to succeed. Students, parents, whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori organisations, communities, peers, and education and vocational training sector professionals must share high expectations for Māori students to achieve.

Ako: a two-way teaching and learning process

Ako is a dynamic form of learning where the educator and the student learn from each other in an interactive way. Ako is grounded in the principle of reciprocity and recognises that the student and whānau cannot be separated.

When ako is a key element of teaching and learning, educators’ practices are informed by the latest research and are both deliberate and reflective.

For those working in government, ako is about seeking the perspectives of Māori students, parents, whānau, hapū, iwi and Māori organisations when we do our work.

Identity, language and culture count

Students do better in education when what and how they learn builds on what is familiar to them and reflects and positively reinforces where they come from, what they value and what they already know. Māori students are more likely to achieve when they see themselves, their parents, whānau, hapū, iwi and community reflected in learning and teaching.

Productive partnerships

Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013-2017 promotes a team effort. It requires everyone who plays a role in education to take action and work together.

Productive partnerships are based on mutual respect, understanding and shared aspirations. They are formed by acknowledging, understanding and celebrating similarities and differences.

For Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success 2013-2017 to be successful, key stakeholders must form productive partnerships where there is an ongoing exchange of knowledge and information, and where everybody contributes to achieving the goals.

A productive partnership starts by understanding that Māori children and young people are connected to whānau and should not be viewed or treated as separate, isolated or disconnected. Parents and whānau must be involved in conversations about their children and their learning.

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