Te Hurihanganui

Te Hurihanganui will support communities to work together to address racism and inequity so that they can accelerate the achievement and wellbeing of ākonga Māori and their whānau. What works in communities will then be built back into the education system so that we see transformative shift for all ākonga Māori and their whānau throughout the education system.

From October 2020, The Ministry of Education will launch Te Hurihanganui in six communities across Aotearoa, with the commitment to support those communities for three years.

A Blueprint for Transformative Shift

In June 2018, the Ministry undertook a co-design approach to address bias, strengthen equity and accelerate educational achievement and wellbeing of ākonga Māori. It was important that this co-design process included Māori leadership and a balance of expertise and experience of what works for ākonga Māori from across the education system. The Ministry worked alongside the following group of mātanga to co-design Te Hurihanganui: A Blueprint for Transformative Shift:

  • Professor Mere Berryman (Chair, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Whare)
  • Emeritus Professor Wally Penetito (Ngāti Haua, Ngāi Raukawa and Ngāti Tamaterā)
  • Jim Peters (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Hine, Ngā Puhi and Clan McInnes)
  • Professor Bobbie Hunter (Manihiki, Aitutaki)
  • Dr Lesley Rameka (Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāti Tukorehe)
  • Whetu Cormick (Ngāti Raukawa ki Wharepuhunga)
  • Daniel Murfitt (Ngāti Pākehā)
  • Therese Ford (Ngāi Takoto)
  • Hurae White (Ngāti Mahuta, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Pikiao and Ngāti Ruahikihiki)
  • Te Waipounamu Teinakore (Waikato Tainui and Ngāti Hauā)

Te Hurihanganui – Full Blueprint [PDF, 3.6 MB]

Design Principles

The Blueprint is based on evidence of what works for Māori in education. It identified the following six design principles that are critical for transformative education system reform. These principles are interdependent and, together, offer greater potential for developing an equitable and excellent education system where Māori succeed as Māori.

  • Te Ao Māori: Rich and legitimate knowledge is located within a Māori worldview. Under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the education system must create and hold safe spaces for this knowledge to thrive, supporting Māori to live and learn as Māori.
  • Tino Rangatiratanga: Māori exercise authority and agency over their mātauranga, tikanga and taonga. In order to access this knowledge, Māori leadership is essential. Through decolonisation of the education system Māori potential will be realised.
  • Whanaungatanga: Whānau relationships are an exemplar for authentic, meaningful and transformative relationships in education. These relationships are based on mutual trust and respect from which shared understandings and reciprocal benefits can arise.
  • Te Ira Tangata: Every person is a taonga: born of greatness and full of inner potential. This brings with it the responsibility to be critically aware of ourselves, our world, and each other.
  • Mana Ōrite: Te Tiriti o Waitangi provides the foundation for equal, reciprocal, respectful and interdependent relationships between Māori and non-Māori.
  • Te Hāngaitanga: We must take collective responsibility for ensuring Māori can enjoy and achieve educational success as Māori.

Te Hurihanganui Pou

Together, through the principles of Te Hurihanganui we will:

  • Strengthen kaupapa Māori to support a cultural shift in the education system – Strengthening kaupapa Māori means recognising the validity and legitimacy of Māori language, culture, philosophy and principles. It means thinking critically and developing a critique of non-Māori constructions and definitions of Māori and affirming the importance of Māori self-definitions and self-valuations.
  • Build critical consciousness to support a structural shift in the education system – Building critical consciousness means reflecting critically on the imbalance of power and resources in society, and taking anti-oppressive action to do something about it for the better. It means recognising white privilege, understanding racism, inequity faced by Māori and disrupting that status quo to strengthen equity.

For more information see the Te Hurihanganui Blueprint

Te Hurihanganui – Full Blueprint [PDF, 3.6 MB]

 Te Hurihanganui - Blueprint

Summary of the Blueprint

Who will be involved in Te Hurihanganui?

Te Hurihanganui is about mobilising communities. It acknowledges that addressing racism and inequity is everybody’s responsibility; and that ākonga, whānau, hapū, iwi and communities have as much of a role to play as early learning centres, schools and government policymakers. Due to this, we will be working alongside the following groups in the Te Hurihanganui communities:

  • Mana whenua iwi, hapū and whānau
  • Schools and early learning centres
  • Ākonga Māori, Pākehā and tauiwi
  • Whānau of ākonga
  • Wider community groups with an interest in addressing inequity and racism

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