Governance and the Board Of Trustees

One aim of boards of trustees is to give parents and communities a greater say in their children's education. This aim has worked well in some communities, but others have struggled. Low-decile schools may find it especially difficult to attract trustees with the range of skills and experience needed.

The Education Review Office[1]  (1994) has found that effective boards of trustees:

• Provide a clear sense of purpose and direction for the school
• Have a clear knowledge about their responsibilities
• Take timely and appropriate action
• Efficiently administer board activities
• Seek training
• Plan for succession
• Have clear systems of communication
• Are responsive to stakeholders and consult on all important issues
• Show a strong commitment to Māori values
• Have systems for consulting with Māori families
• May use co-option
• Undertake self-review.

The Māori executive of the New Zealand School Trustees Association reports that many schools find it hard to develop good working relationships with Māori and to get Māori onto boards, and yet Māori parents and whānau want more say in what is happening in schools.

Having Māori trustees is fundamental to boards meeting the requirements of the National Education Guidelines. It means that Māori have the opportunity for a formal voice in the school and a share in decision making. One Māori trustee described board membership as a means of empowering Māori to plan and initiate ideas themselves.

All schools contributing to these guidelines agreed that it is vital to have the knowledge and experience of Māori trustees. They bring a much needed perspective to the school, enabling the board to more effectively address issues concerning the education of Māori children and the inclusion of Māori culture and values into school life. Māori trustees can offer new approaches to problems, and they raise issues that may not have been considered before.

Most schools said that there must be more than one Māori trustee as it is too big a job for one person. Also, a lone Māori trustee may get marginalised and find it difficult to put forward initiatives for Māori students if the board environment is not supportive. There may also be too great an expectation on that person to represent the full range of needs and interests of Māori parents and whānau.

The first step that schools should take is to ask Māori parents how they wish to be involved in the governance of the school. Consider a variety of options. For some communities, having dedicated positions for Māori board members is preferred. Some schools have co-opted Māori members. In other examples, schools have set up a Māori committee as part of the board. Each of these approaches is discussed below.

Dedicated positions on the board

Allocating positions for Māori as part of the board structure is one way of ensuring that the school complies with the legal requirements in relation to Māori under the Education Act 1989 and includes Māori perspectives on the board. It also provides a way of securing Māori representation on a board where the Māori population is a minority and it is unlikely that any Māori will be elected.

The process for filling those positions, by election or appointment, needs to be agreed with Māori parents and whānau. Some whānau groups recommend people for election or appointment as trustees. For example, in one school the whānau group canvassed Māori homes for people to stand for the board. Another school appointed a representative from each whānau group onto the board.

The involvement of Māori in board appointments could be formalised through the use of section 94B of the Education Act 1989. This section allows the board of trustees to approve a body corporate for the purpose of appointing a specified number of trustees to the board. This enables a board to approve, for example, an iwi or Māori organisation to appoint trustees.

Co-opting Māori members

Some schools have co-opted Māori onto boards when they have had no, or only one, elected Māori member. This has worked satisfactorily for some schools, but co-option is not supported by all Māori who contributed to these guidelines. In part, this is because co-option is perceived by some as "getting people in by the back door", without an appropriate mandate from the Māori community. Others see co-option as a temporary arrangement, dependent on the whim of the board, rather than as an ongoing part of governance arrangements. There is also concern that the board may determine who will be co-opted rather than leaving it for Māori parents and whānau to decide.

Some Māori parents also have the impression that co-opted members do not have the same rights as other board members. This is not correct. All board members, whether appointed or elected, have the same statutory rights. The only difference is how they got onto the board. However, schools who co-opt members must ensure that people understand that they are full members of the board with the same statutory rights and responsibilities as elected members.

Ensure that where Māori are co-opted as appointed members to a board of trustees, they are appointed in a process determined by the Māori community.

A Māori committee as part of the board

A Māori committee can act as an important forum for considering all aspects of the school's operations in relation to Māori. At one secondary school, the Komiti Matua has the right and responsibility to look into any aspect of the school from a Māori perspective. At another secondary school, a Runanga Matua that has been set up as a committee of the board has the authority to deal with disciplinary issues concerning Māori students.

Some Māori may prefer to sit on the board of trustees rather than being part of a committee. A Māori committee must have clear lines of communication with the board, and its role and responsibilities must be clearly established, so that the scope of its activities and its level of influence on board decisions is understood.

"The board gives strong recognition to its Treaty of Waitangi responsibilities and to the unique position of Māori in New Zealand society. This is expressed in consultation with the Māori community, promotion of learning in te reo Māori, provision of a strong taha Māori programme, and the inclusion of Māori protocol in the kawa of the school. Consequently, all parents are experiencing and learning tikanga Māori (culture) and te reo Māori (language). Consultation with the Māori community occurs in several ways. Runanga Matua has trustee representation on the board, while the kaumātua provides valued guidance for the principal and teachers. The Māori community is comfortable in approaching management or the board when there is a belief that their perspective is needed."

- South Island primary school

Whatever arrangements are chosen to ensure that Māori are appropriately represented in school governance, there are also ways that the day-to-day activities of boards can contribute to strengthening relationships with Māori communities.

Clearly establish the school's policy in relation to Māori responsiveness

Trustees should ensure that the school charter describes how the school intends to develop and maintain relationships with Māori parents and whānau, the consultation processes it will use, and the methods of reporting to the Māori community that it has set up.

One group of trustees suggests that boards include responsiveness to Māori in the performance agreement between the board and the principal.

"Beware, the issue you don't consult on is likely to become the problem!"

- comment of the principal of a primary school

One Northland primary school is developing a document outlining the consultation process they will follow. It will include identifying the need for consultation, the timeframe, who in the school will be involved, those who need to be consulted, and how and where consultation will be conducted. It is intended that the board of trustees will approve the process.

Increase trustees' understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi

An important step before approaching the Māori community and undertaking any consultation is to increase trustees' understanding about the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori education issues. Both trustees and staff can benefit from seminars and other opportunities to work through issues before starting to consult.

In one area, the local marae has hosted two noho marae (overnight stays at the marae) for trustees and teachers.

Encourage trustees to participate

Many of the schools contributing to these guidelines said that their trustees were involved in both day-to-day activities, such as assemblies, and special events. This is an important way of encouraging non-Māori trustees to become more aware of and involved in pōwhiri and Māori education initiatives in the school.

Day-to-day contact also raises the profile of Māori trustees in the school, providing valuable role models for Māori students. For example, in one secondary school, the Māori trustees present the prizes at the annual prize giving. At one primary school, some of the trustees make themselves available to host important visitors to the school. It has often been the Māori trustees who have taken the lead in this respect.

Provide training for Māori to become trustees

Several schools have identified prospective trustees and "trained them up". Such training is usually an informal process of familiarisation and confidence building. However, more formalised training that caters for the requirements of Māori trustees can also be developed.

Involve parents and whānau in planning

Schools gave examples of a growing range of planning activities that Māori parents and whānau are involved in. Most schools hold regular (weekly or monthly) whānau meetings, and some also run annual planning hui with Māori parents, trustees, and members of the community. Issues considered include proposals for the development of Māori immersion, curriculum development, and mission statements and goals. One school has included a representative of the whānau group on teacher selection panels. In other cases, whānau groups are closely involved with all policy and curriculum development.

Schools reported that most consultation occurred with the whānau groups of Māori immersion classes. They acknowledged that it is often much more difficult to get Māori parents who do not belong to whānau groups involved.

Boards need to consider how much responsibility to give whānau groups. Some statutory responsibilities cannot be delegated to others. Nevertheless, whānau groups are important vehicles for consultation and should be included in decision making as much as possible. Schools can be proactive in approaching whānau and encouraging their participation.

Several schools appoint representatives of whānau groups onto the board of trustees. This is an important way of enhancing connections to the local Māori community on the one hand and, on the other, of giving formal recognition to the whānau groups in decision making.