5 Goal 2 - to Actively Participate as Citizens of the World

If there were agreement about the goal of being able to live as Mäori, it is likely that there would also be a fairly high level of agreement that education is equally about preparing people to actively participate as citizens of the world. There is a wide Mäori expectation that education should open doors to technology, to the economy, to the arts and sciences, to the knowledge wave, to understanding others, and to making a contribution to a greater good. This does not contradict the goal of being able to live as Mäori; it simply recognises that Mäori children will live in a variety of contexts and should be able to move from one to the other with relative ease. Quite apart from the increasing urbanisation of New Zealand, the shrinking globe will bring the cultures of other lands and communities to Turangi or Taupo, and in turn those towns will be only a web or two away from London and New York. If years at school do not lead to some readiness to confront the world, and to participate actively in it, then opportunities for Mäori advancement will have been sacrificed. Access to music, sport, travel, and the international disciplines of commerce, law and science will be increasingly important for all Mäori over the next 25 years. Even if there is no travel overseas, the global impact will be felt just as much at home.