Te Kōhanga Reo o Miropiko

1 He Kupu Arataki

Kua mahi ngātahi Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ngā whānau, ngā kaiārahi, ngā kaimahi me ngā hapori ki te whakawhanake i ngā tirohanga aromātai e whai wāhi nui ai ki te hāpai i te kawenga takohanga me te whakapaitanga, ki te tautuhi i te ahu whakamua, ā, ki te whakapakari ake hoki i te āheinga ki te aromātai. Ka whakarato ngā pūrongo a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga i ngā mōhiohio mātuatua mā ngā whānau, ngā hapū, me ngā iwi. 

2 Te Horopaki 

E tū ana Te Kōhanga Reo o Miropiko ki Kukutaaruhe, ki Kirikiriroa. He hou te nuinga o ngā whānau me ngā kaimahi ki te kōhanga reo me te kaupapa. Ko tō rātou wawata, kia rumakina ngā mokopuna ki te reo Māori me te ao Māori, ā, kia whakatakotohia te tūāpapa mō tō rātou tuakiri ā-ahurea me tā rātou eke angitu ā meāke nei. 

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakapuaki mai a ngā mokopuna i tō rātou māramatanga ki te whanaungatanga? 

Ka kitea ki ngā mokopuna tō rātou māramatanga ki te whanaungatanga mā ō rātou hononga whai pūtake ki ngā pakeke, ki ngā hoa, ā, ki tō rātou taiao hoki.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

E rumakina ana ngā mokopuna ki te whanaungatanga, ā, e poipoia ana te tino aronga toi whenuatanga, tō rātou tuakiri hoki mā ngā hononga whai pūtake. Ka ārahi ngā whakapapa i ngā whakaritenga a ngā kaimahi me ngā whānau, ā, ka tūhonohono i ngā mokopuna ki ā rātou taonga tuku iho. Mā te taki i ngā pepeha, ka whakapakari ngā mokopuna i ō rātou māramatanga ki ō rātou tuakiri ake. Ka whakamahi ngā kaimahi i te reo Māori hei hāpai i te whakawhanaketanga reo, ā, ka toro atu ki ngā rautaki pērā i te patapatai, te whāngai kupu, te tāruarua, me te tohutohu. E ākina ana te ārahi a ngā mokopuna i ngā kaupapa pērā i ngā karakia Pai Mārire me ngā mihimihi, ā, he tūāhuatanga e whakapakari ana i ō rātou ngākau titikaha me ō rātou hononga. Ka kōkiri ngā tuākana i a rātou anō ki te kōrero i te reo Māori, ka kitea tō rātou māramatanga ki ngā kupu, ā, ka whakapuaki ngā pēpi i ngā akoranga mā te āhua o ō rātou kanohi me tō rātou reo ā-tinana. E tupu ana te māramatanga o ngā mokopuna ki a rātou anō, ki ō rātou tūrangawaewae hoki. 

Ko ngā tikanga o te manaakitanga me te kotahitanga kei te tūāpapa o ngā taunekeneke katoa. He ngāwari, he atawhai hoki te reo kōrero o ngā kaimahi ki ngā mokopuna, ā, he tūāhuatanga tēnei e whakatau ana i te wairua mārie o te wāhi. E wātea ana ki ngā mokopuna te tangongitanga o ngā rauemi e hāpai ai i tō rātou tupu, ā, e whai pānga ana hoki ki ō rātou ngākau nuitanga. Ka whakatairanga te wāhi o waho i te tūhura, ā, ka taunekeneke mātātoa ngā mokopuna ki waenga i a rātou anō, ka tūhono hoki ki tō rātou taiao. I ngā wā katoa ka whakanui ngā kaimahi i ngā whakatutukitanga a ngā mokopuna, ā, he tūāhuatanga ka whakapakari i tō rātou aronga toi whenuatanga, ka whakamana hoki i a rātou. Kei te harikoa ngā mokopuna, kei te whai hononga, ā, ka ngākau nui ki te noho ki ō rātou hoa me tō rātou taiao māoriori. 

E whanake ana ngā mahi whakahaere a te whānau. E whanake ana te whānau i ngā huarahi ki te whakahaere i te kōhanga reo me te whakatū auau i ngā hui. Kua pūrongohia ētahi wāhanga o ngā whakahaeretanga me ngā whakaritenga, ā, kei te matawhānui ngā meneti o ngā hui. Kua whakaritea ngā pūnaha kaimahi, tae atu ki ngā tuhinga tūranga mahi, ngā kirimana mahi a ia kaimahi, me ngā tuhinga arowhai i whakatutukihia ai mō te haumaru o ngā kaimahi. E mōhio ana te whānau, tērā ētahi wāhanga o ngā mahi whakahaere i te kōhanga reo ki te whakapai ake, hei āta whakatau i te whiwhinga a ngā mokopuna i ngā hua ka puta i ngā pūnaha me ngā tukanga o te kounga kairangi. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Me whakapakari i te whakamahere, te aromatawai, me te aromātai. Kāhore e āta kitea ana te hononga o te aromātai hōtaka me ngā mahi aromatawai ki ngā mahere hōtaka. Kua tae ki te wā kia rapu tautoko te whānau mō ngā kaimahi, kia āhei ai rātou ki te whakapakari ake i ō rātou pūkenga me ō rātou āheinga ki te whakapuaki i tētahi hōtaka whai hua mā ngā mokopuna. 

Ahakoa kua whakatakotohia ngā kaupapa here, ngā tukanga, me ngā rēhita e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru, me whakarite te whānau i ngā tukanga ka arotake, ka manatoko hoki i aua tūāhuatanga. Kāhore te whānau me ngā kaimahi e āta mārama ana ki te whai pānga o aua kaupapa here me aua tukanga ki ngā whakaritenga o ia rā ki te kōhanga reo. 

Kāhore e āta māramahia ana te Children's Act 2014 e te whānau me ngā kaimahi. E mōhio ana te whānau - e whakatau ana hoki Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga – e tika ana kia whai wāhi atu te whānau ki ētahi atu wānanga me ētahi atu whakangungu, kia mōhio ai, kia mārama ai rātou ki ā rātou kawenga e whakatutuki ai i ngā takohanga o te ture, i te aronga pū hoki ki te haumaru me te waiora o ngā mokopuna. 

Kāhore anō te whānau kia whakawhanake i tā rātou mahere rautaki me tā rātou mahere mahi hei tautuhi i ngā kaupapa matua mō te whakawhanaketanga o te kōhanga reo mō meāke nei. He mea nui kia whakawhanake, kia whakatinana, kia aroturuki hoki te whānau i tētahi mahere mō te whakatutukitanga o ā rātou whāinga me ā rātou kaupapa matua mā ngā mokopuna. 

5 Te Whakatau a te Whānau o te Kōhanga Reo ki ngā Wāhanga Tautukunga

I te wā o te arotake, i tirohia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha a te kōhanga reo ki te whakahaere i ngā wāhanga e whai pānga nui ai ki te waiora o ngā tamariki, arā, ki: 

• te haumaru ā-whatumanawa, tae atu ki te ārahi mauritau me te ārai tamariki
• te haumaru ā-tinana, tae atu ki te mātakitaki tamariki, ngā whakaritenga whakamoe, ngā aituā, te whāngai rongoā; ngā mahi akuaku, me ngā kaupapa here, ngā tukanga hoki mō ngā haerenga whakawaho
• te tū tika o ngā kaimahi, tae atu ki te tika o ngā tohu mātauranga, ngā mahi arowhai a ngā pirihimana, ngā rēhita a ngā kaiako, me te tatauranga ki waenga i te kaimahi me ngā tamariki
• ngā whakaritenga ohotata me ngā tikanga ohotata e pā ana ki te rū whenua, te ahi, te waipuke, te tai āniwhaniwha, me te urutā. 

Ko te tikanga, ka whakatairanga ngā kōhanga reo katoa i te hauora me te haumaru o ngā tamariki, ā, ka arotake i ia te wā i tā rātou whakatutukitanga i ngā herenga ā-ture. 

Hei whakatutuki i ngā herenga ā-ture, me tahuri te whānau ki te: 

• āta whakarite i tētahi tukanga o te arotake whaiaro, o te aromātai o roto rānei e whakahaerehia ana i ngā wā katoa, hei hāpai i te kōhanga reo ki te whakapūmau me te whakapai ake i te kounga o te mātauranga me te atawhai 
  [R46 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA6 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]   
• āta whakarite i te whakatinanatanga o te marau o te kōhanga reo mā ngā mahere, ngā whakapuakitanga, me ngā aromātai e tohu ana i te māramatanga ki te ako a ngā tamariki, tae atu hoki ki ō rātou ngākau nuitanga, ō rātou whānau, me te āhua tonu o ō rātou nā ao
  [R43 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; C2 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008] 
• āta whakatau ki te arotake me te whakahou ake i te katoa o ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru, hei āta whakatau i te whakatutukitanga me te whakapūmautanga o ngā tikanga katoa e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru, tae atu ki te whakamoe, ngā aituā me ngā maiki, ngā āhuatanga mōrearea, te haereere, ngā haerenga, me ngā rongoā, hei painga mō ngā tamariki 
  [R46 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; HS 9, 12, 17, 18, 27, 28, Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008] 
• āta whakatau i te whakatinanatanga o te tukanga e kaupare atu ai i te tūkino tamariki, ā, āta whakatau hoki i te whai atu i tētahi tukanga ina e whakaarohia ana kua tūkinotia pea tētahi tamaiti
  [R46 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; HS31 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Ratonga o te Mātauranga me te Atawhai Kōhungahunga 2008] 

6 Te Taunakitanga

I whakawhanakehia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me te whānau o te kōhanga reo te taunakitanga e whai ake nei, arā, kia:

• mahi tonu te whānau o ki te taha o te tari ā-rohe o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo ki te whakatakoto i tētahi mahere mahi e whakatutuki ai i ngā take katoa i tautuhia ai ki tēnei pūrongo. 

Tiwana Hibbs
Toka ā Nuku – Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

04 Huitanguru 2025

7 Ngā kōrero e pā ana ki te kōhanga reo 

1 Introduction

The Education Review Office (ERO) in collaboration with whānau, leaders, kaimahi and their communities develop evaluation insights that foster accountability and improvement, identify progress and build evaluation capability. ERO’s reports provide important information for whānau, hapū and iwi.

2 Context 

Te Kōhanga Reo o Miropiko is in Chartwell, Hamilton. The majority of whānau and kaimahi are new to the kōhanga reo and the kaupapa. They aspire for mokopuna to be immersed in te reo Māori and te ao Māori, building a foundation for their cultural identity and future success.

3 Evaluation Focus

To what extent do mokopuna express their understanding of whanaungatanga? 

Mokopuna show their understanding of whanaungatanga through building meaningful connections with adults, peers and their taiao.

4 Findings 

Mokopuna are immersed in whanaungatanga, fostering a deep sense of belonging and shaping their identity through meaningful relationships. Whakapapa guides kaimahi and whānau practices, connecting mokopuna to their ancestral origins. By reciting pepeha, mokopuna strengthen their understanding of their unique identity. Kaimahi use te reo Māori to support language development incorporating strategies including questioning, prompts, repetition and instruction. Mokopuna are encouraged to lead activities such as karakia Paimārire and mihimihi, building confidence and connection. Tuākana use te reo Māori independently, demonstrating understanding of kupu, while pēpi express learning through facial expressions and body language. Mokopuna are growing in their understanding of who they are and where they come from.

The tikanga of manaakitanga and kotahitanga form the foundation of all interactions. Kaimahi speak with mokopuna in a gentle and caring manner, fostering a naturally calm environment. Mokopuna have access to a diverse range of resources that support their growth and reflect their interests. The outdoor area promotes exploration, where mokopuna actively engage with one another and connect with their taiao. Kaimahi consistently celebrate mokopuna achievements, strengthening their sense of belonging and value. Mokopuna are happy and connected, enjoying the company of their peers and the natural surroundings.

Whānau whakahaere is developing. Whānau are developing ways in which to manage the kōhanga reo and hold regular hui. Reporting has occurred across some areas of management and operations, with detailed hui minutes. Personnel systems are in place, including position descriptions, individual employment contracts and completed kaimahi safety checks. Whānau acknowledge there are aspects of kōhanga reo management that can be improved to ensure mokopuna benefit from high quality systems and processes.

Key Next Steps

Planning, assessment, and evaluation require strengthening. It is not clear how programme evaluation and mokopuna assessment are linked to programme planning. It is time for whānau to seek support for kaimahi to build their capability and capacity to deliver an effective programme for mokopuna.

While health and safety policies, procedures and registers are in place, whānau need to establish processes to review and ratify them. Whānau and kaimahi do not fully understand how these policies and procedures impact daily practices in the kōhanga reo.

Whānau and kaimahi understanding of the Children’s Act 2014 is insufficient. Whānau know and ERO agree that whānau and kaimahi should further engage in wānanga and training, to recognise and understand their commitment in fulfilling the obligations of the Act, to prioritise mokopuna safety and wellbeing.

The whānau are yet to develop their strategic and action plan to identify what the priorities are for the future development of the kōhanga reo. It’s essential for whānau to develop, implement and monitor a plan to achieve their goals and priorities for mokopuna. 

5 Kōhanga Whānau Assurance on Legal Requirements

During the evaluation, ERO looked at the kōhanga reo systems for managing the following areas that have a potentially high impact on children’s wellbeing: 

• emotional safety including positive guidance and child protection
• physical safety including supervision, sleep procedures, accidents, medication, excursion policy and procedures
• suitable staffing including appropriate qualifications, police vetting, ratios
• emergency procedures and practices for earthquakes, fire, flood, tsunami and pandemic.

All kōhanga reo are required to promote children’s health and safety and to regularly review their compliance with legal requirements.

Actions for Compliance 

To meet compliance requirements they must: 

• ensure there is an ongoing process of self-review or internal evaluation to help the kōhanga maintain and improve the quality of its education and care 
  [Regulation 46 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; GMA6 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]
• ensure Te Kōhanga Reo curriculum is informed by planning, implementation and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau and life contexts
  [Regulations 43 (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; C2 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]
• must ensure to review and update health and safety policies and procedures to ensure all health and safety requirements for sleeping, accidents and incidents, hazards, travel, excursions, and medication are met and maintained for children 
  [Regulations 46 (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; HS 9,12,17,18,27,28 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]
• ensure a process for the prevention of child abuse is implemented, and a procedure for responding to suspected child abuse is followed when required. 
  [Regulation 46 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; HS31 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008].
   

6 Recommendation

ERO and the kōhanga reo whānau developed the following recommendation for whānau to:

• continue to work closely with the District Tari ā Rohe to establish an action plan to address all concerns identified in this report.

Tiwana Hibbs 
Toka ā Nuku – Director 
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

04 February 2025
 

7 Information about the kōhanga reo