NAPP Hui 2016 (Session 1)

Te toi tupu values - Whakakite, whakaiti, mahi tahi.

Importance of mihi mihi me pepeha - connection to the land.

Don’t just make pepeha and mihi mihi as a tick box but allow it to

speak about your being.

Jan Robinson (Academic director)

Be aware of the little things that lead to bigger things (mihi mihi)

3 challenging questions Jan posed were:

• What is my response to Te Tiriti?

• What does Maori achieving success as Maori really mean?

• Importance of the values of whakakite / manaakitanga / mahi tahi / awhinatanga / whakaite - be overt with our values as these underpin equity and social justice in our leading. (Developing, supporting, collective..)

• How far does our moral purpose extend? - being focused on our values (NZ 36th out of 41 OECD countries in inequality of education)

Leadership is about how we can help the process of change happen around us. Leading transformative change is a difficult task to do when you don’t know the way but have to scope out the surroundings before taking others there.

Imagine if you put a sign up outside your classroom/ school gate and it said "Come in if you think it's worth it!" like the restaurant that set up a trust system that said "pay what you think the meal is worth".

I enjoyed listening to Jan's opening speech around NAPP, she was interesting, articulate and asked some challenging questions but I had questions of my own.

My response to Te Tiriti is that I understand how the treaty operates within the education system and that Bi-cultural ideologies have a place in the 21st Century BUT that the issues that surround biculturalism must be addressed first in order for issues to become resolved. That past histories must be taught in reality, that the treaty was a challenging process for all parties involved and that the worries of all parties must be acknowledged. Also that these histories have been passed through generations and the impact of these issues and how they affect 21st Century learners.

If students are taught how the treaty has impacted on NZ society in the 21st Century (pro's and con's), how the treaty impacts on current social justice issues and how rangatahi can change the future impact of the treaty then they will be more inclusive of their own and others learning.

"Maori success, as Maori" is a concept I struggle with, is Maori success different to Pakeha success? If it is then how are educators creating opportunities for Maori success? Are they creating environments that foster for Maori success? Do Maori see success in a different way that others see success?

When Maori are labelled as priority learners - who defines these? What makes them priority? Who's to say that we are not the priority learner in cultural aspects?

This is where Ann Milne has had a huge impact on my change in thinking about how the treaty has impacted on my teaching around the treaty. Whaea Ann outlines the eurocentric impact on NZ education and how we can challenge our current course of education.