A collaborative new era of local curriculum in Tauranga Moana

A rousing haka pohiri signified the culmination of years of hard work and commitment to one common goal during the public launch of the project that was attended by more than 1,500 people.

Future generations of ākonga in Tauranga Moana will have intricate knowledge of the history and stories of the place they call home, thanks to a localised te ao Māori curriculum developed by a group of passionate people, who saw a gap and came together to fill it.

Work behind the scenes began in 2021, when conversations took place between the three local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Pūkenga, schools and other agencies to create a resource that could be used in all 67 schools, kura, early learning services and kohanga reo across Tauranga Moana.

Covering the Bay of Plenty area from Katikati in the west to Maketū in the east, Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Local Curriculum provides education resources and instruction on delivery for teachers with a focus on subjects including pūrakau and pakiwaitara (stories), waiata (songs), tūtohu whenua (significant places), and kaupapa whakahirahira (significant events), specifically related to the Tauranga Moana area.

Te Mahau | Te Tai Whenua integrated services manager Vianney Douglas says when initial dialogue about the project began, it was obvious that this was something that the local community wanted and had been waiting for.

This was also a sentiment shared by kaiako and Tauranga Moana iwi and hapū, who knew it was time to implement a local te ao Māori curriculum that filled a gap that had existed for far too long.

“Schools do want to have a relationship with their local iwi and hapū. For some it’s easy but for others it’s hard. They didn’t know where to start,” says Vianney.

Supported by TECT, Bay Trust, and the Ministry of Education, goals and objectives for this project focused a local curriculum that provides guidance and resourcing for immersion pathways, English-medium pathways, bilingual pathways, organisations that promote Tauranga Moana, the wider community and visitors to Tauranga Moana.

The resource covers local values, aspirations and learning content that is specific to Tauranga Moana iwi and hapū and draws on iwi aspirations for Māori success as learners but also engagement and understanding of non-Māori learners.

The intimate gathering was a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate this “massive achievement”.

Effective partnerships in action

Otumoetai Intermediate principal Henk Popping, who is also chair of the Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Local Curriculum Project Kaitiaki Group, says it was critical from the beginning of the project to establish relationships based on trust.

Regardless of the medium in which it is taught, the success of the project rested fundamentally on collaboration and coming up with something that every teacher can use.

“It needed to be a genuine, transparent process about developing something for everyone.”

From its inception, the project was driven by Tauranga Moana iwi Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Pūkenga.

“Having iwi being part of this kaitiaki group is really about driving our vision with our stories, and having that control of where they can go and the outcomes,” says Arohanoa Mathews, education manager at Ngāi Te Rangi.

Iwi education managers Toni Heke-Ririnui, Arohanoa Mathews and Ngawaiata Sellars.

Reg Blake, education manager at Ngāti Pukenga says the Mauao story is a prime example of one with multiple versions and interpretations – each just as important as the other.

“However, we are not here to confuse ākonga or the teachers – there are three or four different stories for that one maunga and it’s really important that our students are getting all those different perspectives.”

Toni Heke-Ririnui, Ngāti Ranginui education manager, says each iwi had its own project lead, who were integral in the process through building meaningful connections between the iwi and kura, but more specifically between hapū and their local communities.

“This ensured that the kōrero taking place was genuine.”

By the community for the community

The sense of ownership over a taonga that will benefit many future generations to come could be felt, when Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Te Ao Māori Local Curriculum was launched during an intimate gathering with Tauranga Moana Kaumātua at “Te Iringa Ōkawa”, hosted by Te Wharekura o Mauao in September 2023.

Two weeks later, at Mercury Baypark Arena in Mount Maunganui, a rousing haka pohiri signified the culmination of years of hard work and commitment to one common goal during the public launch of the project that was attended by more than 1,500 people.

Henk says the development of a curriculum through the collaboration of three iwi, all schools, kura, early learning services and kōhanga reo is a massive achievement.

To finally be able to share the content and structure of this local curriculum and instruct kaiako on how to use it, after two years of preparation and planning by everyone involved, was a dream come true, he says.

“As you can imagine, this project has generated huge interest among our iwi, hapū and whānau who have been partners in the development of this taonga for the future generations of learners in Tauranga Moana schools,”
says Henk.

Former Tauranga Peninsula Kāhui Ako lead Ken Ward says there has never been a more exciting time in education for the Tauranga Moana area.

“Our schools are ready, a lot of them have been crying out for this, particularly a localised curriculum through a te ao Māori lens,” he says.

“Students will be able to articulate those stories and truly understand the perspectives of mana whenua.

“We are changing perspectives of Aotearoa New Zealand in the long term. We will have future generations of students who will know the history of the area and the stories.” 

Te Tai Whanake ki Tauranga Moana Te Ao Māori Local Curriculum was launched during an intimate gathering with Tauranga Moana Kaumātua at “Te Iringa Ōkawa”, hosted by Te Wharekura o Mauao in September 2023.