Iwi Education Partnerships Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet: Iwi Ministry Partnerships

Working with Iwi/Maori to improve Maori education outcomes

What are these partnerships?

Partnerships are relationships between the Ministry of Education and either iwi, or other iwi based and formed Maori education organisations. They are established to help improve the education achievement of Maori children and people connected with the particular iwi, hapu or organisations and or located within particular iwi rohe (region). In most cases each partnership is governed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that commits both parties to working together and establishes the roles of each in achieving a set of agreed education objectives.

There is no fixed way for the development and establishment of these relationships. The key point is that they create an opportunity for two organisations that were formerly acting in isolation to work together to improve Maori education outcomes. They build the capability of both organisations and apply a strategic approach for improving education. There is no one size, and no one particular way.

The approach to working together brings a greater opportunity for Maori to have increased responsibility for designing and implementing solutions in ways which encourage wider inclusion and a sharper focus on learning and teaching. At the core of this work is the central focus on strengthening the role of parents and whanau to help their children in education, through:

• face to face support and advice;
• better information and knowledge about education; and
• more support for tikanga and te reo Maori.

Each partnership is built on a strong understanding of the need to share expertise and skills, the maintenance of positive and open relationships and an understanding of the constraints and risks to be taken into account in implementing these projects.

Who is involved?

In most cases the partnerships are between iwi and Crown. The whole of Ministry therefore has responsibility for contributing to the achievement of the agreed outcomes and goals for each partnership.

There are currently nine formal partnerships*:

• Te Reo o te Taitokerau (inactive);
• Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board;
• Te Runanga o Ngati Porou;
• Te Runanga o Turanganui a Kiwa;
• Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu;
• Tuhoe Education Authority;
• Hauraki Maori Trust Board
• Te Runanga o Te Awa Tupua o Whanganui; and,
• Te Runanga o Ngati Whatua.

*The Ministry also has less formal relationships with more than eleven other iwi/maori organisations.

While each agreement is a separate relationship, the partners meet regularly in a common forum. The forum provides an opportunity for them and the Ministry to learn from each other, identify and advance strategic issues, share information and build relationships.

What can iwi/Ministry partnerships cover?

Partnerships cover a wide range of factors that have an impact on education:

• teaching and learning;
• curriculum developments;
• governance support;
• management;
• professional development for teachers;
• research/survey/profiling; and,
• resource development.

The mix of factors included in any one partnership depends on the unique circumstances and needs of the iwi and the performance of the education system within the rohe, more particular, the results of this. Initiatives underway in current partnerships range from governance training for trustees, professional development of teachers and principals, to literacy programmes with teachers, and community-based language and culture initiatives.

How are they established?

Generally the partnerships are formed based on a response by iwi to the Ministry of Education. Some have been formed for school support reasons. Both parties work towards a more shared understanding what each might contribute to the partnership and more importantly how this might influence improving Maori education outcomes.

This involves extensive engagement, the determining of shared objectives, the defining of roles and responsibilities. From this flows the development of an education based strategy that sets out what the partnership will aim to achieve over a particular period of time. From this is a programme of work is determined.

Funding is then applied for and allocated, and the subsequent work programmes are monitored and reviewed. The Ministry is involved in each step of this process. Independent reviews of the programmes of work have been implemented in the more longstanding partnerships.

The Ministry National office is involved in strategic, governance and operational support. Regional offices provide a range of operationally focused services through Pouherenga Matauranga (Strategic Iwi Advisors), monitoring analysts, Pouwhakataki (Community) and Te Mataaruru team (Maori education performance - central North Island).

What is the purpose of partnerships?

Each partnership has its own approach.

They typically develop multiple strategies to improve education outcomes, including strategies to address governance, professional and management issues, helping schools develop more effective teaching strategies, building ways in which families can support learning, and building linkages with communities and all types of education providers. Each partnership has a tailored approach.

Some of the opportunities of the partnership programmes are that they can:

• provide for local initiatives that can help lift Maori parents' expectations for a better education, while at the same time helping schools to respond more effectively to these new expectations;
• provide for local initiatives that can support schools and other education providers, complementing what is provided nationally, but including a greater understanding of what Maori see as valuable and important;
• focus on opportunities to lift quality and responsiveness in the mainstream of education where over 80% of Maori students are enrolled;
• build on successful existing initiatives which have a strong community focus and involvement, i.e. Schooling improvement projects;
• explore opportunities in early childhood education, in tertiary education and in adult and community education.

Where practical the partnerships become involved in using existing programmes and policies, in some cases as providers, but also as facilitators or brokers to get particular programmes operating in either the community or schools.

The partnerships work collaboratively alongside the different parts of the education system with a strong focus on improving education outcomes. A key part of this involves building capability to revitalise te reo Maori within the rohe and exploring how some of the resources which come from this work can be used in schools and with whanau.

The partnership goals and objectives have their own relevance and independence, and are similar in intention to the Ministry's vital outcomes. The iwi work towards the same broad outcomes as the Ministry but follow pathways tailored more to their particular geographical, demographic, social educational and economic situations. Integral to these pathways is the tikanga and te reo Maori dimensions.

An important part of this work is to enable a more inclusive approach for thinking about how positive change can be effected within education. This means that the Ministry becomes one part of a wider group who can contribute to achieving better outcomes, rather than the only group.