Hautū – get on board the waka

Māori parent and community membership on school boards of trustees hit an all-time high in 2013, and this year, schools will call again for nominations.

Hautū is a resource for boards of trustees to assess how culturally responsive their school is to their Māori community. This self-review tool asks the board about how they will accelerate achievement success for Māori tamariki and rangatahi.

New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) and the Ministry of Education worked together to develop Hautū in consultation with board chairs and principals, teachers and parents of dual and English-medium schools. Traditionally ‘hautū’ are the people who keep the time for the paddlers in a waka. They do this by singing waiata and haka of different speeds for the kaihoe (paddlers) to move the waka forward. The hautū were also responsible for ensuring all the kaihoe were fully resourced, for the journey.

By providing direction, pace and resourcing for schools, Hautū is a tool that can assist Māori students to enjoy and achieve education success as Māori.

Developed by the people for the people, through a variety of consultation opportunities, Hautū supports boards to gather and analyse information from their school, whānau and community to make informed decisions.

The structure of the resource assists boards to have focused conversations and to keep their attention on the activities that will strengthen and accelerate achievement outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi.

With the help of Hautū, school boards will begin a new journey with their Māori whānau and community, focused on strengthening education for and with Māori students and their parents, family, whānau and iwi.

For more information about a workshop near you contact the NZSTA Governance Coordinator on 0800 782 435.

Learn more about Hautū by visiting the NZSTA website(external link)