Toitū te Mātauranga, Toitū ngā kura – Standing for Public Education

1. He Tapu ā Tātou Tamariki —Our Ākonga are Precious and Sacred

Ko ā tatou tamariki te pūtake – kia kapo ai rātou i te iti kahurangi. Ko tā te pouako Māori he poipoi i te pitomata o te tamaiti, i tōna katoa. Ko tōna tuakiritanga, ko tōna ahurea, ko tōna whakapapa te tūāpapa. Ko tōna angitu kei te kōrerohia o te reo, kei te raupā hoki o ōna ringa ki te kāinga, ki te marae, ki te hapori hoki. Ko tā te pouako he whakaū i taua tūāpapa e tū rangatira ai ā tatou tamariti i tō rātou Māoritanga, i tēnei ao hurihuri.

Our children are at the heart of what we do – that they pursue excellence. Māori teachers nurture the full and holistic potential of every child. At the core of this are their identity, their culture, and their whakapapa – the foundation on which they stand. True success is reflected in their confidence to speak te reo Māori, and in the strength of their contribution at home, on the marae, and within the wider community. Teachers reinforce this foundation, empowering our tamariki to stand proudly in their Māoritanga, equipped to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

2. He Rākau Taumatua - Kaiako Not Only Influence Minds, They Shape Lives

He mahi wairua kei roto i te whakaako i ā tatou tamariki. Ko tā te pouako Māori he manaaki, he noho hei rākau taumatua hei taunga mō ā tatou tamariki, e rongo ai rātou i te haumarutanga me te aroha. Ko te aroha te taura hereherenga i waenganui i te ākonga me te pouako, tē tangatanga i te rā, tē motukia e te wā. He whakaawenga mutunga kore tā te pouako i ngā whakaaro me te oranga o ā tatou tamariki mokopuna.

There is a spiritual dimension in our work, in teaching our children. The Māori teacher is someone that cares, that children flock to, so that they feel safe and loved. It is love that binds the student and the teacher – an unbreakable connection that neither time nor distance can sever. A teacher’s influence is lasting; they shape the thoughts and wellbeing of our young ones, our future generations.

3. Te Aroaro ā-Kapa – On the Frontline of Rangatiratanga

Kei te aroaro ā-kapa ngā pouako Māori i te tohe mō te rangatiratanga i te ao mātauranga. E kawe nei rātou i ngā pīkaunga Māori hei mātanga reo, hei kaikawe tikanga, hei hāpai i ngā kaupapa Māori katoa. E tohe nei ngā pouako ki tētahi pūnaha mātauranga e hāpai ana i te rangatiratanga o te Māori, i te reo Māori, i ngā mātauranga Māori, me te Tiriti o Waitangi. Nōhea ngā pouako e tūohu ki ngā ngā panonitanga kaupapa here e whakaparahako nei i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, i te mātauranga Māori, me te reo Māori. Ka noho mātāmua ā tatou tamariki i ēnei tohe katoa.

Māori teachers stand at the frontline of the struggle for self-determination in education. They carry the weight of Māori responsibilities – as language experts, cultural guardians, and champions of all kaupapa Māori. These teachers are pushing for an education system that upholds rangatiratanga, te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori, and the Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We will never bow to policy changes that undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Māori knowledge, or the Māori language. At the heart of all these efforts are our children – they are the reason we continue this struggle.

4. Mai i a Papatūānuku: Teach Authentically as Māori

Mā te Māori anō ngā hiahia a te Māori e hāpai. Me ahu mai te pūnaha mātauranga Māori i a Papatūānuku, i te ao Māori, e ū ai ōna mātauranga, ōna huarahi whakaako, te reo Māori, ā tatou tikanga, kia tū rangatira ai te pouako Māori ki te whakaako i runga i tōna mana Māori. Ki tā tētahi pouako, “He momo tohe kei roto i te tū hei Māori i i a rā”. E whai nei mātou kia eke mātou ki tua o te pūnaha i mahue iho mai ki a mātou, e Māori ake ai ia, haere ake nei.

Only Māori can truly respond to the needs of Māori. We are advocating for an education system grounded in te ao Māori and grounded in Aotearoa – one that affirms Māori knowledge, Māori ways of teaching and learning, and the centrality of te reo Māori, our traditions, and to be able to teach from a place of Māori authority and identity. As one teacher put it, “There is a constant struggle in simply existing as Māori each day.” We strive to move beyond the system that was handed down to us, so that future generations can experience an education that is truly by Māori, for Māori.

5. He Hawaiki Mokopuna Hou

Kua hika kē te ahi o te whakarauoratanga o te reo me ngā tikanga. Ko tā mātou he toutou tonu i te ahi kia whitawhita mā te whakaohooho i te reo, i ngā tikanga kua roa e tāmoea ana. Ko te āpōpō ko te kite i ā tātau tamariki e kōrero Māori ana i ngā wā katoa, ko te tū rangatira hoki hei Māori i tō rātou ao. I puta te kōrero i a Kiingi Tuheitia—“Me Māori te tū, me kōrero te reo, me whakatinana ngā uarā Māori’ – e rangona ana ēnei kōrero i ngā kura. Ko tā mātou he whakaū, i runga i ngā whakapapa, i ngā uara Māori, ā, me ārahi e ngā ākonga Māori.

The flame of revitalising te reo and tikanga Māori has long been lit. Our role is to keep that flame burning brightly – by reigniting the language and cultural practices in places where it has long been lost. Our vision for tomorrow is to see our children speaking Māori always and standing proudly in their identity as Māori in every aspect of their lives. As Kiingi Tuheitia said: “Stand as Māori, speak the language, and embody Māori values.” These words echo through our schools. Our role is to uphold these aspirations, grounded in whakapapa and guided by Māori values – with our Māori learners leading the way.