Te Kōhanga Reo o Tu Whakaara o Rautahi

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 Tū Whakaara o Rautahi ki Kawerau. E whakarato mātauranga ana mā ngā mokopuna 11, ā, tokorima o rātou i raro i te rua o ngā tau. Nō te tau 1983 te kōhanga reo nei i tīmata ai ki te marae o Rautahi. E whai wāhi tonu ana tētahi o ngā kuia i tīmata ai i te orokohanga o te kōhanga reo, ā, e whāngai tonu ana ia i ōna mātauranga me tōna tautōhito ki te ao o te kōhanga reo i ia rā. 

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakaatu a ngā mokopuna i tō rātou māramatanga me tā rātou whakamahinga i te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori? 

E whanake ana ngā mokopuna i tō rātou māramatanga ki te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

E ako ana ngā mokopuna ki tētahi taiao e aro nui ana ki te tuakiri me te waiora. Ka whakatairanga ngā kaimahi i te whakamahinga o te reo Māori mā te tangongitanga o ngā rautaki e tika ana, e whai pānga ana hoki, pērā i te whāngai kupu, te patapatai, te tāruarua, me te tohutohu. E tino tautokona ana aua tūāhuatanga mā ngā waiata, ngā waiata koroua, ngā mōteatea, ngā mihimihi me ngā kōrero tuku iho. Ka whakamahia aua aronga hei whakapakari i te ngākau titikaha o ngā mokopuna me te whakawhānui ake i ā rātou puna kupu. He ngākau titikaha ō ngā mokopuna tuākana ki te whakamahi i ngā rerenga kōrero poto, ā, ki te whakautu kōrero hoki mā te kupu kotahi. Ka tohu ā-tinana ngā pēpi i tō rātou māramatanga i te reo Māori. E whanake ana te ngākau titikaha o ngā mokopuna kia tīmatahia tō rātou kōrero i te reo Māori. 

Kei te pakari ngā hononga, ā, kua paiheretia ki te manaakitanga. Kei te tino mōhio ngā kaimahi ki ā rātou tamariki nā te haere tonutanga me te riterite o ngā taunekeneke, me te aroturuki i a rātou. Ka whakatauira rātou i te whanaungatanga puta noa i ā rātou mahi, ā, nā tēnā, ka whakatinana hoki ngā mokopuna i te aroha me te manaakitanga i roto i ō rātou hononga ki ētahi atu. Ka ngākau nui ngā tuākana ki te mahi ki te taha o ō rātou tēina, ā, kei te tākare ngā tēina ki te whai wāhi atu ki ngā mahi katoa a ō rātou tuākana. He kaha te tautoko a ngā kaimahi i ngā mokopuna tuākana kia kawe atu rātou i ngā tūranga ārahi i roto i ētahi wāhanga o te hōtaka. Ka tino whakamana ngā kaimahi i ngā whakatutukitanga a ngā mokopuna. Kua tūhono atu ngā mokopuna ki ngā hononga whai pūtake ki te taha o ō rātou hoa me ngā pakeke. 

Kei ngā mahere me ngā mahi aromatawai ngā aratohu mārama mō te whakatinanatanga o te hōtaka. Ka hāngai ngā mahere o ia rā ki ngā ariā, ā, ka whakatakoto haere i ngā akoranga e whakahihiri ana, e ngākau nuitia ana, ā, e takune ana ki te whakatairanga i ngā taunekeneke papai ki waenga i ngā mokopuna. Kua āta whakaraupapahia ngā hononga ki Te Whāriki. Mā te ārahitanga me te āwhina o ngā kaiako tautōhito ake, e whakawhanake ana ngā kaimahi i ngā rautaki, ā, e tautuhi ana hoki i ngā rauemi e tika ana hei hāpai, hei ārahi i te ako a ngā mokopuna. Kei ngā mahi aromatawai ngā wāhanga e tautuhi ai i te ako a ia mokopuna, me ō rātou whakawhanaketanga hoki. E wātea ana hei pānuitanga, hei kōrerotanga hoki mā ngā whānau. Ka pūrongo ngā kaimahi i te hōtaka akoranga ki te whānau i ngā hui ā-whānau. He pai te whakamahere me te aromatawai i te ako a ngā mokopuna. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Me titiro ki te arotake whaiaro, ki te aromātai o roto rānei. Ahakoa kua whakahoungia ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga, he mea nui kia mārama ki ngā whānau me ngā kaimahi ā rātou takohanga ki te whakapūmau i ngā whakaritenga e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru. Tē taea te haumaru me te waiora o ngā mokopuna te whakatūturu. 

Kāhore anō kia whakatakotohia te aromātai hōtaka. Ahakoa ka whakawhiti kōrero ngā kaimahi mō te hōtaka akoranga, he uaua ki te tātari i te āhua o te whai pānga o aua whakawhitinga kōrero ki ngā whakapaitanga ki te hōtaka akoranga. Ka whai painga ngā mokopuna i te wā e whakatairanga ana ngā whakapaitanga ki te hōtaka i te kounga o te ako. 

Me whakapakari i ngā mahi whakahaere a te whānau. Me tohatoha e ngā kaimahi kua roa nei e mahi ana ki te kōhanga reo, ko ngā tūranga me ngā kawenga mahi e pā ana ki te whakahaeretanga me ngā whakaritenga hei mahi mā te whānau, hei āta whakaū i te toitūtanga o te kōhanga reo. He tūāhuatanga tēnei ka hāpai i te whai māramatanga o ngā whānau ki ngā mōhiohio e tika ana ki te whakawhanake me te whakapūmau i ngā tukanga e tika ana mō te aroturuki me te pūrongo i ngā āhuatanga matua o ngā pūnaha o te kōhanga reo. Ka whiwhi ngā mokopuna i ngā painga nā te whai huatanga o ngā mahi whakahaere a te whānau. 

Kāhore anō kia whakaoti te whakamahere rautaki. Ki te kore e whakatakoto i tētahi mahere mahi e āta whakatau ai i te pūrongo atu o ngā aroturukitanga me te ahu whakamua ki te whānau, e kore te whakatinanatanga o ngā whāinga me ngā kōkiritanga o te kōhanga reo e whakatutuki. Me toitū te pae tawhiti o te kōhanga reo.

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, 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, 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 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] 

6 Te Taunakitanga

E whakaae ana te whānau ki te taunakitanga a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, arā, kia whakawhanakehia tētahi mahere e whakatutuki ai i ngā whakaritenga matua me ngā herenga ā-ture i whakaraupapahia ai ki tēnei pūrongo kia whāia. 

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

28 Paengawhāwhā, 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 Tu Whakaara o Rautahi is located in Kawerau. It provides learning for 11 mokopuna, including five under two-year-olds. Originally based at Te Marae o Rautahi , this kōhanga reo first opened in 1983. One of the founding kuia remains at kōhanga and continues to contribute her knowledge and experience to daily kōhanga life.

3 Evaluation Focus

How well do mokopuna show their understanding and use of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori?

Mokopuna are developing in their understanding of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.

4 Findings 

Mokopuna learn in an environment that places a high emphasis on identity and wellbeing. Kaimahi promote the use of te reo Māori through a range of relevant and appropriate strategies such as prompts, questions, repetition and instructions. These are well supported through waiata, waiata koroua, mōteatea, karakia, mihimihi and kōrero tuku iho. The approaches are used to build mokopuna confidence and increase vocabulary. Older mokopuna are confident to use short sentences and single word responses. Pēpi use body language to demonstrate their understanding of te reo Māori. Mokopuna are developing confidence as early speakers of te reo Māori.

Relationships are strong and caring. Kaimahi know their tamariki very well because of ongoing, consistent interactions and monitoring. They model whanaungatanga throughout their practice and as a result, mokopuna demonstrate aroha and manaakitanga in their relationships with others. Tuākana take pleasure in working with their tēina who are keen to be included in everything they do. Older mokopuna are well supported by kaimahi to take on leadership roles across certain aspects of the programme. Kaimahi are very affirming of mokopuna achievements. Mokopuna have formed meaningful relationships with their peers and adults. 

Planning and assessment practices provide clear guidelines for programme implementation. Daily planning is thematic and records learning that is interesting, engaging and intended to promote positive interactions among mokopuna. Links to Te Whāriki are clearly outlined. With advice and guidance from more experienced kaiako, kaimahi are developing strategies and identifying suitable resources to support and guide mokopuna learning. Assessment practice contains components that identify the learning and development of individual mokopuna. These are available for whānau to read and provide feedback. Kaimahi report to whānau about the learning programme at hui whānau. Mokopuna learning is well planned and assessed.

Key Next Steps

Self-review or internal evaluation requires attention. While policies and procedures have been updated, it is important that whānau and kaimahi are clear about their obligations in upholding health and safety practices. Mokopuna safety and wellbeing cannot be guaranteed

Programme evaluation is not in place. While kaimahi discuss the learning programme, it is difficult to gauge how these discussions impact on any improvements to the learning programme. Mokopuna gain when programme improvements raise the quality of learning.

Whānau whakahaere requires strengthening. There is a need for longstanding kaimahi to distribute roles and responsibilities for the management and operations to the whānau with a view to ensuring the sustainability of the kōhanga reo. This will assist whānau understanding of what information is necessary to develop and maintain appropriate processes for monitoring and reporting on key aspects of kōhanga reo systems. Mokopuna benefit from effective whānau whakahaere. 

Strategic planning is incomplete. The realisation of kōhanga reo goals and initiatives will not occur unless an action plan is in place to ensure that monitoring and progress is reported to the whānau. The future for the kōhanga reo must be sustainable.

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. Whānau must:

• ensure the service curriculum is informed by planning, implementation and evaluation that demonstrates an understanding of children’s learning, their interests, whānau and life contexts 
  [Regulation 43 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; C2 Licensing Criteria for Early Childhood Education and Care Services 2008]

6 Recommendation

The whānau agree with the ERO recommendation that a plan be developed to address the key next steps and the area of non-compliance as outlined in this report.

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

28 April 2025

7 Information about the kōhanga reo