Ka Awatea Murupara

"Ka Awatea - Murupara
Heralding a new age, a future of promise and success in education"

Background

Ka Awatea - Murupara is a community led process developed by the Ministry of Education. It involves the community working with an independent facilitator to develop a vision for education and, later in the process, a plan for implementing a strategy to achieve this vision. The Ka Awatea - Murupara Working Party is directing the process. The Ministry of Education is part of this process through representation on this working party.

This is a new process in New Zealand where communities work together to make best use of education resources provided locally and by central government. In this way education can become integrated with overall community development. This process encourages communities to be involved and to have a say in the future of education for their tamariki and mokopuna.

For this project, the Murupara community includes Murupara township, Galatea and Kaingaroa Forest. The neighbouring communities of Waiohau and Minginui/Te Whaiti have also been invited to participate. The project includes all aspects of education from pre-school to adult education and all elements of education both formal and informal.

• View the Area Map of Ka Awatea - Murupara [JPG; 219kb]

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Frequently asked questions

What is Ka Awatea - Murupara about?
Ka Awatea - Murupara is your chance as a member of the Murupara community to have a say about the future of education in Murupara. Ka Awatea Murupara is a community driven process to engage with the people of Murupara to develop a vision for education and a strategic plan for achieving that vision.

Who is involved in this work?
To support Ka Awatea - Murupara there are a number of people involved. A working party made up of principals, parents and community members meet monthly to help guide this process. This group includes:

• Dawn Mitai-Pehi – Principal Rangitahi College, ph 366 5636
• Pem Bird – Poutoko TKK Motuhake o Tawhiuau, Tangata Whenua, ph 366 5817
• Laura Halliday – Acting Principal, Murupara School, ph 366 5602
• Mike Jones - Principal Kaingaroa Forest School, ph 366 9845
• Rachel Chater - Principal Galatea School, ph 366 4862
• Merika Sorenson – Head Teacher Murupara Kindergarten, ph 366 5677

The Ministry of Education is also involved, as are independent facilitators.

Who are the facilitators?
The Ministry of Education and representatives from the Murupara Community appointed Tahana Ltd as the project facilitators in July 2008. The Tahana team of Arapeta Tahana (Te Arawa), Taria Tahana (Te Arawa), Roxanne Smith (Rongowhakaata) and Bybi Clarke (Ngati Maniapoto) will be working with the Murupara community until August 2009 (link to facilitators) to facilitate the development of a vision and strategic plan for education.

What role does the Ministry of Education play in this project?
The Ministry of Education’s role is to oversee the process, provide support and advice to the working party and present the final recommendations and strategic plan to the Minister of Education. Jon Dimock, is the Ministry of Education representative for the project.  He can be contacted by email at Jon.Dimock@minedu.govt.nz [no spam].

What will this mean for the schools in Murupara?
The focus of Ka Awatea - Murupara is to develop a long-term vision for education in Murupara and a plan to achieve this vision. This may involve discussions around the size, type, number of schools however the focus is on ensuring the best education for children in Murupara.

How much of a say does the community have?
This process is all about the giving the community a say in the future of education. It is one of three projects around the country that the Ministry of Education has underway. The views of the community will be put to the Minister of Education directly as a Murupara strategic education plan.

Is this a paper exercise or will it result in real change?
Ka Awatea - Murupara is about change for the better. It is up to you as a member of the Murupara community to determine what the future of education in Murupara should look like and to help create that future.

How can I be involved?
There are a number of ways you can be involved:

• talk to members of the working party listed above,
• attend a wananga-a-rohe (community hui). Four will be held throughout Murupara in March/April and probably additional hui in June;
• read the project panui (newsletters) distributed through the schools. Three panui will be sent out during the project to keep you informed (link to panui).

You can also contact the facilitators if you have any questions or want more information by phone 07 349 8360 or by email at bybi@tahana.com [no spam].

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Community Engagement

The upcoming wananga-a-rohe (community hui) is:

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Ka Awatea - Murupara Working Party

The following people are active members of the Working Party:

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Ka Awatea - Murupara Facilitators

The Ministry of Education and representatives from the Murupara Community appointed the facilitation team from Tahana Ltd in July 2008. Tahana Ltd has a team of four people working on Ka Awatea Murupara who are based in Rotorua. The roles and responsibilities of each team member are outlined below:

Arapeta Tahana Snr (Te Arawa)
Arapeta is the Project Director. Arapeta has an extensive educational background as well as over 25 years in senior roles including Chairing the Te Arawa Trust Board and Poutiri Trust and Chief Executive Officer of Waiariki Polytechnic. Arapeta is responsible for the cultural aspects of the project, quality assurance, media relations and facilitation of key events including meetings with the Working Party and community wananga.

Taria Tahana (Te Arawa)
Taria is the Project Manager. Taria is the Managing Director of Tahana Ltd, and has been a management consultant for the past 12 years. She has extensive facilitation experience both domestically and internationally. Taria oversees the project and co-facilitates the Working Party community engagement with Arapeta.

Roxanne Smith (Rongowhakaata)
Roxanne is the Project Analyst. Roxanne has over ten years experience in the public service as a senior policy analyst working in the Ministry of Education and Te Puni Kokiri, and more recently as a contractor. She is responsible for development, analysis and writing of all the key deliverables throughout the project. Roxanne attends the working party meetings and will be attending the community wananga.

Bybi Clarke (Ngati Maniapoto)
Bybi is the Project Co-ordinator. She is responsible for co-ordinating meetings, organizing venues and managing the project administration.

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Panui Tuatahi - March 2009

Organising venues and managing the project administration

Tena koutou katoa, welcome to the first Ka Awatea - Murupara panui.

• Ka Awatea - Murupara is about everyone working together to create a vision for education in Murupara that excites and encourages our whanau, tamariki, mokopuna to engage in learning.
• Ka Awatea - Murupara is an opportunity for the people of Murupara to work alongside the Ministry of Education to determine the future of education in Murupara.
• Ka Awatea - Murupara includes the Murupara Township, Galatea, and Kaingaroa Forest communities. The surrounding communities of Waiohau and Minginui/Te Whaiti have been also invited to participate in this project.
• Ka Awatea - Murupara is overseen by the Ministry of Education, co-ordinated by a working party and facilitated by Tahana Ltd.
• Ka Awatea - Murupara began in October 2008 and has four key phases: Working Party establishment (October 2008); stakeholder identification and engagement (November - March 2009); development of vision and strategic plan for education (April-June 2009); and presentation of the strategic education plan to the Minister of Education (July 2009).

What has been done to date

The Tahana team have met with a range of people to discuss the project and the key educational issues and priorities in Murupara. The Ka Awatea - Murupara working party was formed and consists of educationalists, members of the community and parents. The role of the working party is to:

• Open up community networks to encourage dialogue about education
• Ensure all communities are represented from early childhood through to tertiary/adult community education
• Provide guidance, advice, direction and innovation on the strategic vision and strategies for education in Murupara.

The working party has met three times and will continue to meet monthly until July 2009.

How you can be involved

There are a number of ways you can be involved:

1. Talk to members of the working party. The following members can be contacted for more information:
   - Dawn Mitai-Pehi – Principal Rangitahi College
   - Pem Bird – Poutoko TKK Motuhake o Tawhiuau
   - Laura Halliday – Acting Principal, Murupara School
   - Mike Jones - Principal Kaingaroa Forest School
   - Rachel Chater - Principal Galatea School
   - Merika Sorenson – Head Teacher Murupara Kindergarten
2. Attend the wānanga-a-rohe (community hui) to contribute your educational aspirations and visions for education in Murupara. The dates and venues are as follows:
   
   

   Location	Date	Time	Venue
   Murupara (1)	Wednesday, 11th March 2009	5.30 - 7.30pm	Maumahara Hall (Murupara School)
   Galatea	Tuesday, 24th March 2009	7.00 - 9.00pm	Galatea Memorial Hall
   Kaingaroa Forest	Wednesday, 25th March 2009	6.00 - 8.00pm	Kaingaroa Forest School
   Murupara (2)	Wednesday, 1st April 2009	5.30 - 7.30pm	Rangitahi Marae

3. Read the project panui (newsletters) distributed through the schools. Three panui will be sent out during the project to keep you informed.
4. View the website. More information about Ka Awatea - Murupara will be available on www.minedu.govt.nz.
5. Contact Tahana Limited via email bybi@tahana.com [no spam] or phone 07 349 8360.

There is much to be done to develop a strategic plan for education in Murupara that inspires, excites, and encourages learning and we look forward to your contribution to this important work.

Nau te rourou, naku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi – with your basket of knowledge and with my basket of knowledge we will succeed.

Ka Awatea - Murupara Working Party

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Panui Tuatahi - June 2009

Welcome to the second Ka Awatea - Murupara panui.

Overview

• Ka Awatea - Murupara is an education initiative overseen by the Ministry of Education, coordinated by a working party and facilitated by Tahana Ltd.
• Ka Awatea – Murupara is a strategic planning process involving communities from across the wider Murupara area. This phase began in October 2008 and will be completed in July 2009 when the strategic education plan will be presented to the Minister of Education.
• Ka Awatea literally means a ‘new dawn’ and symbolises a heralding of a new age, a future of promise and success in education across the wider Murupara area. It is about everyone working together to create a future that excites and encourages our parents, whānau, and tamariki to engage in learning.

What has been done to date

Since the first Ka Awatea Murupara panui the working party has continued to meet monthly to guide engagement with the community and develop the strategic education plan.

Community engagement

Tahana Ltd has facilitated a number of community wananga to create a vision for the future of education in Murupara. Wananga were held for:

• Parents and whānau (Murupara, Galatea and Kaingaroa Forest communities); and
• Students (attending secondary school in Murupara)

Tahana Ltd has also sought feedback on the process from:

• Te Ika Whenua Purapura – the collective of kōhanga reo in Murupara and outlying areas
• Te Runanga o Ngati Whare (Minginui/Te Whaiti)
• Te Kura Māori a rohe o Waiohau
• Murupara Community Board

Coming up this month Tahana Ltd will be facilitating further face-to-face hui with:

• Parents and whānau in Kaingaroa Forest (date and venue to be confirmed), and Minginui/Te Whaiti (30th June 2009, 4-6pm, Te Kura Toitu o te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi); and
• Kaiako/pouako/teachers 16th June 2009, 3.30-5.30pm Maumahara Hall.

Further information regarding these hui will be available through your local school from mid-June.

Community feedback

Information received from the community wānanga and hui has been grouped into five key themes. In summary this is what you have told us is important:

Curriculum, in particular learning that:

• values local history and the natural resources in the environment
• develops academic, technological and life skills needed by students to succeed
• is supported by state of the art facilities
• is fun, relevant and enjoyable.

Technology, in particular:

• technology to enhance learning and offer a range of curriculum areas
• professional support e.g. technicians, specialist teachers
• homes that are networked to schools
• being part of a national and global learning environment.

Learners, in particular learners that:

• are bilingual and bicultural
• have a range of pathways available to them including tertiary, training and/or employment
• connected and embraced by the family/whānau, hapu and iwi
• confident, innovative and resourceful.

Educators, in particular educators that are:

• excited by and encourage about learning
• knowledgeable, skilled and qualified
• positive role models
• valued members of the community.

Community, in particular a community that:

• is safe, happy, and healthy place to live
• supports learning in and outside of school
• values respect, compassion, confidence, working together and success
• has a range of facilities to support learning.

Survey

Attached to this panui is a questionnaire asking for your views about the future of education and the key themes mentioned above for young children right through to adults in the wider Murupara community. This survey provides a further opportunity for you to have a say especially if you were not able to attend the wānanga-a-rohe in March this year.

The survey is confidential and your participation is voluntary. The results will be collated and aggregated by Tahana Ltd and presented to the working party to inform the strategic plan. There will be collection points for you to return your surveys set up at your local school and the local Four Square.

The survey needs to be completed and returned by Friday 19th June 2009.

Where to from here

The working party is now meeting fortnightly to draft the strategic plan which will be circulated in draft form to the wider community for feedback in July. You will be able to provide your thoughts and views on the plan in writing or you can attend a community hui to present your feedback verbally. A community hui has been set for Tuesday 28th July, 5.30-7.30pm, Maumahara Hall. More details will be available in July.

Staying involved

If you have any questions or queries or would like to be more involved you can:

1. Talk to a member of the working party all the school principals are part of the working party however a full list of members is available at www.minedu.govt.nz, keyword ‘Murupara’ or
2. Contact Tahana Limited via email bybi@tahana.com [no spam] or ph 07 349 8360.

We look forward to your contribution to this important work.

Nau te rourou, naku te rourou ka ora ai te iwi – with your basket of knowledge and with my basket of knowledge we will succeed.