Creating an Equitable and Inclusive Classroom for Māori Students

The Current Situation According to the Ministry of Education (1993), “All young people in New Zealand have the right to gain, through a state schooling system, a broad, balanced education that prepares them for effective participation in society.” However, currently within secondary schools there is a ‘power asymmetry’(Simon, J., 1992). Pakeha values, beliefs and systems are regarded as normal, with the pervading assumption of superiority. Whereas, Maoritanga is currently only selectively used. (Connell, S., 1989) Even though teachers want all their students, including Maori, to do well, many do not understand the important role culture plays in a student’s learning. (Jill Bevan- Brown, 2003 p 1). Male and female Maori students are consistently over-represented in early school leaver statistics and underachieving in NCEA.(got to check this one)

What the data tells us. Creating an equitable and inclusive classroom for Maori students raises engagement and achievement levels. – the proportion of year 11 Māori learners achieving the reading literacy and numeracy criteria for NCEA Level 1 increased to 61.1%, an increase of 1.2 percentage points from 2006 – Māori school leavers with NCEA Level 2 or above increased from 36.7% in 2006 to 43.9% in 2007 – Māori school leavers qualified to attend university increased from 14.8% in 2006 to 18.3% in 2007 – the retention rates for 17½-year-old Māori learners increased from 38.9% in 2006 to 39.1% in 2007 – the proportion of Māori participating in modern apprenticeships has increased from 15.1% in 2006 to 15.6% in 2007 (Educational Information and Analysis Group/Group Maori [Ministry of Education], 2009).

The key issue Our current education system does not ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students (Bell & Carpenter, 1994). As a cohort, they consistently under- perform the norm (Bishop et al. 2007).

Equality of Opportunity versus Equity Equality of opportunity involves treating every student the same in terms of providing them an ‘opportunity’ to be educated whereas equity is about treating every student based on their individual need so that they have an equal chance of achieving the same outcome (Ball, 1994). Therefore to make Equal Opportunity = Equity, we need to provide a multi-curricula, multi-pedagogical educational system whereby the classroom system is individually tailored to each student to achieve the “best” outcome for each student according to that individual student’s needs (Bridges, 2009).

What if...? For those of you who are still not sure that we should be concerned with equity, consider what position you would be in if the Tangata Whenua were in the majority group today? In terms of: – Language used – Curriculum – Teaching styles – Culture

What does an Equitable and Inclusive Classroom look like? In general we would see the: Visible signs of culture – images, icons, work on display, resources that reflective Maori perspectives, people and language. woven into the Invisible signs of culture – “discursive practices and co- construction (power sharing) between students and teachers” (Bishop et al, 2003). To create a classroom in which to be Maori is to be normal (Bishop et al, 2007).

The Māori Cultural Perspective From a Māori perspective the following key concepts have been highlighted as important to Māori students in a classroom context (Bishop et al. 2007). – Rangatiratanga – self-determination – Taonga Tuku Iko – cultural identity – Ako – reciprocal learning (community) – Kia piki ake i ngā raruraru o te kainga – mediation of home difficulties – Whanau – extended family – Kaupapa – collective vision or philosophy – What about good teacher student relationships? – High Expectations for excellence? (and Maori terms to describe these)

Rangatiratanga Gives the individual the right to exercise authority over themselves. This includes being able to act for themselves, make decisions and take control of their own lives. Rangatiratanga is used for the betterment of the entire group, not only the individual. (Bevan-Brown. J., 2003, p 19) In the classroom situation, students can be encouraged to take responsibility for their actions, decisions and learning within the classroom.

Taonga Tuku Iko “The principle of cultural aspirations where cultural identities are valued, valid and legitimate” ( Bishop & Glynn, 2003). The valuing of the student as a unique individual, recognising their mana (Bishop & Glynn, 2003).

Ako Ako means reciprocal learning. The teacher’s role is as a facilitator in the classroom, setting up an environment where the student can also add their own knowledge to the discussion. This type of organisation is conducive to shared learning, as each member of the group is able to contribute, which will result in group knowledge building. (Te Kotahitanga Phase 3) Concept of “Community of Learners”

Kia piki ake i ngā raruraru o te kainga The principle of mediation of socio-economic and home difficulties. Building strong home-school relationships increases participation of students in school based educational experiences. Strong home-school relationships increases the opportunity for whanau to support students in times of educational crisis (Bishop & Glynn, 2003).

Whanau Maori parents and whanau are interested in their children’s education and want to be actively involved. This community is frustrated about the lack of cultural equity in classrooms Maori are sometimes hesitant to approach schools to enquire about making changes. This stems from personal negative experiences of school. However, Maori do want more say in education A need has been recognised for more parental and teacher support, and open communication. (Ministry of Education, 1998) Schools can implement community participation by holding discussions with local Iwi and students’ whanau. Maori with specialised knowledge can be invited in to speak and demonstrate their skills with students.

Kaupapa “An influential and coherent philosophy and practice for Maori conscientisation, resistance and transformative praxis to advance Maori cultural capital and learning outcomes within education and schooling” (Smith cited in Bishop and Glynn, 2003, p,61).

What recent research has shown. Te Kōtahitanga and others: What these programs have shown is that if we as teachers: – have the right attitudes and beliefs, – if we take the time to find out the specific needs of the cohort we are targeting and – if we address these needs well within the context of our educational system, we can achieve impressive positive results with this cohort. (What is this term representing?)

High Level Summary of Key Success Strategies Manaakitanga – Teachers’ showing that they care by treating students with respect and honesty. Mana Motuhake – Teachers’ having high expectations for students’success. Ngā Whakapiringatanga – Providing boundaries, rules and organisation Wāngana – Appropriate pedagogical approach Ako – interactive, reciprocal and community learning Kōtahitanga – Collaborative achievement of a common / shared goal

Manaakitanga Teachers need to extend hospitality, kindness and respect towards students in the classroom, enabling Maori students to feel that they can be themselves. It is important that teachers care for Maori children as Māori, taking into account that they bring cultural understandings and different perspectives to the class. Instruction and activities should be included to reflect and build on this knowledge. (Te Kotahitanga, 2007, p29)

Mana Motuhake Caring for students performance Having high and clear expectations. Communicating clear teaching goals to students. Teaching students how to learn. Critically reflecting on own teaching. Supporting and rewarding effort and learning by students. Taking responsibility for student learning. Being passionate about what is being taught. Being willing and able to adapt teaching Making homework relevant and checking it carefully and responsively (Bishop et al, 2006).

Ngā Whakapiringatanga

Wāngana

Ako An effective classroom environment is where lots of discussion and co-0perative group learning and knowledge sharing can take place (Pere, 1982, p.70) Teachers can implement this by including frequent opportunities for group work.

Kōtahitanga

Key Stakeholders At the Core – students and teachers, working together. In the Middle – parents, Whanau, school community, supporting teachers and students. At the Edge – Ministry of Education, Wider Community, providing the expectations, policies and systems.

Characteristics of Successful Teachers Most importantly, build trusting, relationships with students. Celebrate the cultural diversity of their learners and treat as an opportunity for all students to learn more about our world. Take time to build their own cross cultural knowledge. Identify and own their own culture, being aware of the impact this has in the classroom. Always hold high expectations which is reflected in quality instruction of the curriculum. Have a safe environment for students to participate and collaborate with interactive learning activities. These should be fun, real world and relevant. Scaffold Include students perspectives and contributions, treating them with respect and meaning. (Saravia-Shore M., & Garcia, E. 1995, p49)

How to Make Inclusive and Equitable Schools a Reality for Māori students?

What Schools need to do. Maoritanga to be treated as mainstream (normal), incorporating it into all aspects of school life. (Bevan-Brown, J., 2003,p10) Work on building positive relationships between teachers and students, and the extended school community.

Concluding Points Currently, Maori students are not receiving the best opportunities to excel in education. There is a underlying sense that Pakeha values and processes are superior, to the detriment of people from different cultures, including Maori. When we look at the evidence outlined above it is clear to see that Maori tikanga in education has many benefits, not only for Maori, but for all students. In order to enable Maori to achieve excellence in education, incorporating culture in schools is a vital element. Maori students need to feel that being ‘Maori’ is normal and encouraged.

Works Cited Ministry of Maori Development/Te Puni Kokiri, Making Education work for Maori/Te Whakamahi i te Matauranga mo te iwi Maori: Report on Consultation (July 1998) Bevan-Brown, J., The Cultural Self Review, (2003) New Zealand Council for Educational Research, Wellington. Connell, S., Beyond Guilt. (1989) Wellington: Radio New Zealand. Simon, J., ‘Good intentions, but...’ In Quest Rapuara (Ed.), Cultural identity: A resource for educators (p39- 43).(1992) Wellington: Quest Rapuara Saravia-Shore M., & Garcia, E Diverse teaching strategies for diverse learners. In R.W. Cole (Ed), Educating everybody’s children(pp47-57) Alexandria, VA: ASCD Pere, R.M. (1982) Ako: concepts and learning in the Maori tradition. Hamilton, New Zealand: Waikato University Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Tiakiwi, S., & Richardson, C. (2003). Te kotahitanga: The experiences of Year 9 and 10 Maori students in mainstream Classrooms. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Bishop, R., Berryman, M., Cavanaugh, T., Teddy, L., & Clapham, S. (2006). Te kotahitanga phase 3 whakawhanaungatanga: Establishing culturally responsive pedagogy of relations in mainstream secondary school classrooms. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Bishop, R and Glynn, T. (2003) Culture counts: Changing power relations in education. Palmerston North: Dunmore Press. Education Information and Analysis Group/Group Maori [Ministry of Education], Nga haeata matauranga: The annual report on Maori education,