Maori Language Week at Waihi College.

Maori Students and Waihi College

The 5th of our college annual goals ties nicely in with the Maori Language Week.  That goal states...
"Culturally Responsive Teaching - Teachers will continue to develop culturally responsive teaching practices that recognise the special place of Maori and Pacifika students to maximise effective learning relationships with students."

Waihi College is very much a bicultural school.  We have on our role 201 students that primarily identify themselves as Maori.  [based on the number of domestic students as at June 2014].

This means that 29% of our role, on enrolment have selected to identify firstly as Maori.  There will be an additional number of students that will see themselves a Pakeha first with some Maori ancestry/whakapapa. 

In year seven and eight 35% (67 students) of those cohorts primarily recognise themselves as Maori.  There is a case for speculating that students are becoming more open to acknowledging their culture.

What does it mean to be Maori?
An interesting thing that can be noted, within the statistics of Maori in the population of students at Waihi College, is that whilst there are significant numbers of students identifying as Maori only two thirds were able to connect/identify with a specific Iwi. 
 
n.b. Did you know that the Hauraki Maori Council officially recognised in the 1960's a new Iwi - Ngati Waihi.  None of the current group of students recognised themselves in this Iwi. 

Maori students are not getting the results that they should be getting.  We in NZ education have a collective issue on addressing this inequitable situation. 

Something tangible that we can all do as teachers is to check that we are honouring our Maori students names.  Here is a video highlighting that pronunciation is important.  The real key message is to be able to show the students that you care enough to try.

 

Here is that video by Key and Peele "Substitute Teacher" (comedy central)