Manawa Mai
Manawa mai te putanga o te ariki
Manawa mai te putanga o te tauira
Ka eke ki Rongorupe
Ke eke ki Rangitahuahua
Tenei te whatu kei au
Kei te kaunga tapu te mauri
Tu te whiwhi-a-Nuku
Tu te whiwhi-a-Rangi
Kei te whiwhia i waho
Kei te rawea i waho
Puritia mai i waho
Tawhia mai i waho
Ko tenei te mauri ka whakapiki
Ko tenei te mauri ka whakakake
Ko te mauri o tenei ariki
Ko te mauri o tenei tauira
Ko te mauri ki runga te rangi e Rangi
Ko te mauri ka puta ki te whaiao
Ki te ao marama
Tihei mauri ora!
For a translation see end of article
Kia ora koutou, I have been asked to clarify the role of our Rumaki Reo within the kura and to provide some understanding of our goals, aspirations and challenges. We acknowledge those who have led in the past not least Wini Bidois, and those who have pro`vided wisdom in the establishment, governance and management of Te Roopu Aroha ki Te Reo.
Te Roopu Aroha ki Te Reo (TRAKTR)
Rumaki Education at Raglan Area School. Level 1 Total Immersion
TRAKTR is a total immersion Te Reo Maaori language acquisition syndicate that responds to the aspirations of, most particularly, our Maaori Community to have their moko educated in the medium of Te Reo Maaori and within Tikanga o Te Ao Maaori. (That is everything taught in Maaori within the cultural understandings and practices of a Maaori world view).
This validates Te Tiriti, it honours covenant documents, and it realises the possibility of a bi-cultural nation, where partnering and self determination are enlivened.
“It is about creating an opportunity to build a bilingual, bicultural nation within a multi-ethnic context, where equitable outcomes are a given, where poverty doesn’t have a particular skin colour, and where innovation comes from the very deliberate marrying of differing cultures to create something new, dynamic and unique?” (Paora Howe)
To explain then, these students in Te Aroha ki Te Reo, are expected to spend the day immersed in Te Reo including learning English as a second language in the medium of Te Reo Maaori. The official definition is that this is at least 80% of a students contact time within school. This is classified as Level 1 (L1) and attracts supplementary funding and staffing support for these students.
A common misunderstanding can occur when classes from the Rumaki don’t blend with English Medium Classes. The language during these times always reverts to English (as that is the language both cohorts understand) effectively cutting into the immersion time for rumaki students and subtly suggesting that Reo English has the greater status, as well as not meeting MOE expectations. (These are annually audited to ensure immersion time is 80% and above.)
These times include days of sporting events, combined trips, access to special events such as the Life Education Bus, and intervals and lunchtimes. It can quickly be seen that the core business of immersion is quickly lost and undermined. The Rumaki then necessarily protects the reo and tikanga from some of these, (however not all). This is not ‘them and us’, this is not ‘isolation’ or ‘ostracism’ nor ‘aloof’ or ‘discriminatory’ it is good practice and essential to immersion learning and the establishment of Te Reo Maaori.
Immersion classes use curriculum design and assessment tools that enhance and support expectations of whanau and MOE guidelines. Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori.
The Education Review Office (ERO) suggests that to be effective Rumaki need to be strong across a number of themes. These themes are:
- focusing on their vision and aspirations for students and the kura/school
- recognising and valuing the kura/school’s unique context
- educational leadership that drives improvement and action
- emphasis on strengthening teacher capability and whānau participation
- relationships with iwi and the local community.
- in schools and kura that have adopted both Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and The New Zealand Curriculum, ensure that school leaders promote and maintain the integrity of the respective national curricula and standards for literacy and numeracy.
The BOT at RAS support the development of these themes in TRAKTR and across the whole kura.
The whanau of students in the Rumaki are passionate supporters of TRAKTR and of Te Reo Maaori. Support for the roopu is very high and hugely appreciated. Whanau meet with teachers regularly to celebrate and to discuss learning. They do face challenges not least defending their right to learn in their own language, securing the best educators, providing excellent resources and holding true in the face of the demands of an English speaking world.
Fundamental to a Maaori World View are:
- Rangatiratanga; Identity and Connectedness.
- Mana Motuhake; Pride, cultural aspirations and participation.
- Academic Aspirations; Bi-lingual students ( the research clearly observes that this advantages the learner)
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi; Self advocacy, self determination, partnership.
Note also that there are mandatory Teaching requirements as part of Teachers registration for all teachers. These include:
- “demonstrate a significant depth of knowledge in the theory and practical application, where appropriate, (of) the current issues and initiatives in education, including Maaori education “
- “demonstrate a high level of commitment to further developing understandings of the Treaty of Waitangi”
- “demonstrate commitment to the promotion in education of the appropriate and accurate use of Te Reo Maaori and the adoption of Maaori protocols where appropriate”.
For further reading the following is an extract from an article (Paakeha and the Treaty – why it’s our Treaty too) by Pat Sneddon
It was the Maaori Land Court Chief Judge Durie in 1990 who first described Paakeha as tangata Tiriti, those who belong to the land by right of the Treaty. It is our unimpeachable security, our right to belong passed from generation to generation My view is that it is this concept that so many of our post-Treaty migrants have emotional difficulty with. We passionately and intuitively know we are not strangers in our own land, but we are unresolved as to how to describe ourselves.
Resolving this will help us deal with this current debate. Denying the distinct and different world-view of our Treaty counter-party will not satisfy this need. At present my observation is that Paakeha (and for that matter many new migrants) look at the Treaty as being not our Treaty but their Treaty, a method of leverage for resolving Maaori claims. So once we finalise their grievances the relevance of the Treaty will be no more.
As tauiwi we have an obligation to recognise rangatiratanga, because it provided us with the corresponding right of citizenship of this country. Clearly a subsequent denial of this legitimacy is not what any of us want. Nor should we be afraid of the implications of such recognition, which requires first and foremost acceptance and understanding, not the wholesale transfer of resources.
In practical and contemporary terms the Ngati Whatua hapu at Orakei is now once more in control of their own affairs as defined and expressed through their own:
- socio-cultural activities (related to housing, education, health and marae based activities)
- economic development (especially with joint ventures where external finance and development expertise would be joined to hapu land), and
- political relations (such as agreements with central and local government and regional institutions and organisations)
Recognition of manawhenua re-introduced
One of the characteristics of this debate is that it is less a matter between bigots and liberals, but more between those who are actively trying to understand our history and those who don’t think it makes a jot of difference. It is not a debate the historians are winning at present.
And let it be said clearly. The Waitangi Tribunal would not have functioned without the consent of the population, the majority of whom are Paakeha and other recent or long established migrants. In short, much honour integrity and respect has been put on the line in making progress. These are not matters with which to trifle no matter the short-term gain.
I celebrate these Paakeha attributes in my generation and my parent’s generation. They in good faith took the risk to lift off the lid and look once again at our history, allowing all voices to be heard for the first time. They did this not because they understood in its entirety where it might lead, but because there was an emerging consensus that this was the right thing to do. Their example points us to the wider picture, to pursue the greater good in our dealings with each other.
Today, this largely silent consensus is under threat. Some of the implications of this newly discovered history are hard to swallow. Their articulation has on the surface at least, unsettled the Paakeha centre of cultural gravity, reduced our confidence in our cross-cultural future. We are suddenly nervous about what we might lose, forgetting for the moment the enormous lift to our Paakeha mana secured by our actions as a just and open people.
My challenge to my fellow Paakeha is to return to your original instincts. This is a debate about pride in our achievements and self-belief. It about the soul of our nation that either recognises the seeds of its own genius and the consummate ability within ourselves to articulate and solve our own problems, or loses its nerve and resorts to a one size fits all solution.
So slick, so simple, so seductive. So wrong. Let’s not let it happen.
Pat Snedden
Manawa Mai (Translation)
Observe! Tis the inspirational emergence of the mentor and the student
Behold them as they cross the thresholds of excellence at Rangitāhuahua and Rongorupe
I am awed by them
The pursuit of excellence is a sacred endeavour
Sanctified by the Earth Mother and the Sky Father
Their achievements speak for themselves; they are the epitome of excellence
Hold fast, be proud of your accomplishments
This is the excellence which inspires, this is the excellence which is superior
The essence of the master is reflected in the pupil
It is the excellence which is emblazoned across the sky
The excellence is there for all to see
Transcending this ancient world into the world of enlightenment
Wait…Be prepared…Get ready…Join together…Gather together…As one…!
More information
More general information about our Rumaki Unit including information on enrolment can be found at: https://www.raglanarea.school.nz/rumaki-reo/ or contact Malcolm Cox, Principal.
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