From projects to policy

• New Zealand Maori – who are we?

• What do we want?

• How do we get it?

• Project example

• Lessons

New Zealand Maori• Indigenous of NZ

• Population: 4 million

• Maori 15% approx. 600,000

• 1:4 in classrooms in next generation

• Education is free and compulsory to 16yrs

• 2 options: integrated mainstream and/or Maori immersion

What do we want?

And/And policies• Maori and a NZer• mainstream education

and traditional learning

• Maori and English• Standard of living and

live our chosen lives

= Choice

Either/or policies =• Price of (mainstream)

citizenship too high– Change identity

• Cost of (mainstream) citizenship too high– Division– Disaffection– Conflict

How do we get it?

Demand• Parental pressure• Student pressure• Community pressure• Pilot projects• Policy advocacy• Political lobbying

Supply• Governmental

responses• People, policies,

processes• Institutions• Private sector

Project example

• Schools change management project

• 21 schools – 2/3 failing• Rural, isolated, poor,

Maori• Governance untrained

and unmotivated• Professional leadership

peremptory and pre-emptive

• Teacher quality indifferent and old

• Parental engagement sporadic and low

• Literacy and numeracy below average

• Cultural fluency marginal in both

• Institution rather than learner focused

What we did / What we did not do

• Government and Tribal partnership

• Cultural conceptual framework

• Community development and capacity building approach

• Baseline research

• Take away responsibility

• Interfere in community decision-making

• Take sides• Pre-determine

answers

Lessons

• Establish a good relationship • Proficiency models• Agree a shared outcome • Pursue quality• Design for what might be (not what is)• Stay focused on the learner• Dont assume trade-offs are necessary• Agree what success will look like• Develop portable models• Information, information, information• Maintain cultural integrity