Te Kōhanga Reo o Maungataniwha

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 

Ngāpuhi

Puhi Kai Ariki

Puhi Moana Ariki

Puhi Taniwharau

E tū ana Te Kōhanga Reo o Maungataniwha ki te hapori o Mangamuka, ki te Tai Tokerau. E tū ana ki te marae o Mangamuka. Kua raihanatia mō ngā mokopuna 18, me te tokorima o rātou ki raro i te rua tau te pakeke. E noho ngākau nui ana te whānau ki te whakapūmau i ngā tikanga me ngā kawa o te marae. 

3 Te Aronga o te Aromātai

He pēhea rawa te whakaatu mai a ngā mokopuna i tō rātou pārekareka ki te ako? 

Ka whakapuaki ngā mokopuna i tō rātou pārekareka i a rātou e whai wāhi atu ana ki te tangongitanga o ngā wheako whakaongaonga.

4 Ngā Whakaaturanga

He whai wāhitanga mō ngā mokopuna ki te toro atu ki te tangongitanga o ngā wheako ako pārekareka. Ka whakamahi ngā kuia me ngā kaimahi i te tangongitanga o ngā rautaki, pērā i ngā waiata, i te whāngai kupu, i te tāruarua, me te ārahitanga, hei poipoi i te whakawhanaketanga reo. E ākina ana te whakawhiti kōrero a ngā tuākana mā ngā kupu māmā, ā, ka whakapuaki ngā pēpi i a rātou anō mā ngā menemene me te katakata. Ka whai hua hoki ngā mokopuna nā ngā hononga e poipoi ana i a rātou, me ngā taunekeneke whai pūtake ki te taha o ngā pakeke me ō rātou hoa. Ka whai wāhi mātātoa ngā mokopuna ki ngā tikanga pērā i te pōwhiri i ngā manuhiri ki tō rātou kōhanga reo me tō rātou marae. Whakamihi ai ngā kaimahi i ngā whakamātau a ngā mokopuna i ia te wā. Ka hāpaitia tā rātou ako i ngā tikanga me ngā kawa o tō rātou iwi, me tā rātou whai māramatanga ki tō rātou tū hei tangata whenua. 

Ko tā te marae, he whakawhānui māhorahora nei i ngā wheako ako o ngā mokopuna. Ko ētahi o aua akoranga, ko te ako i ngā whakairo, i ngā tukutuku, me ngā whakaahua o ngā tūpuna. Ka akiaki ngā kaimahi i ngā mokopuna ki te tūhura haere i ngā papa o te marae, hei poipoi i ngā hononga ki te whenua, ki te taiao, me tō rātou tūrangawaewae. Ko te noho tuawhenua, he whai wāhitanga mō ngā mokopuna ki te toro atu me te tūhura haere i ngā wāhi māoriori. Kei te harikoa, kei te mauritau hoki ngā mokopuna ki ā rātou akoranga. 

E whakawhanake ana te whānau i ngā huarahi ki te whakahaere i te kōhanga reo. Ka whakatakoto te tūtohinga i te aronga me te ārahitanga e hāpai ai i te whānau, ā, kua pou herea ki ngā mātāpono o Te Korowai. Ka whakatakoto hoki i ngā kōrero hītori e pā ana ki te kōhanga reo, me ngā hononga ki te takiwā. Pūrongohia ai ngā take pūtea i ia te wā. Kua tīmatahia te whakatinana haere i ngā rēhita e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru, hei aroturuki i te waiora whānui tonu o ngā mokopuna. E āta whakatau ana te mahere ā-tau i te whakatutukitanga o ngā mahi i te tari i roto i te wā e tika ana. He pai te whakatutuki haere i ngā tuhinga kaimahi, tae atu ki ngā tuhinga e arowhai ana i te haumaru o ngā kaimahi, ā, ka hāngai katoa ki tēnei wā tonu. Ka arotahi ngā mōhiohio arotake whaiaro ki te whakatupu i ngā pūmanawa o ngā kaimahi me ngā whakapaitanga ki ngā whakaritenga. E whakahaere ana te whānau i te kōhanga reo hei painga mō ngā mokopuna. 

Ngā Whakaritenga Matua ka whai ake

Tērā ētahi tūāhuatanga o ngā mahi whakahaere a te whānau hei tirohanga ake. Kua tae ki te wā kia whakaritea, kia whakatinanahia hoki e te whānau te tukanga arotake whaiaro, hei āta whakatau i te aroturukitanga o ngā wāhanga matua o ngā whakahaeretanga me ngā whakaritenga, kia whai takohanga, kia whai whakapaitanga. 

Ahakoa ngā whai wāhitanga mō te whānau ki te hāpai i ngā kaupapa whakahaere, kāhore anō kia whakatutukihia e rātou ā rātou kawenga mahi mō te taetae atu ki ngā hui ā-whānau i ia te wā. He maha ngā take e pēnei ana, tae atu hoki ki te mahi ukiuki a ngā whānau. Nā tēnā, kāhore i te rawaka te whai wāhi atu a ngā mema katoa o te whānau. Heoi, me rapu te whānau i tētahi rongoā e hāpai ai i tā rātou whakatutuki i ā rātou kawenga mahi ki te kōhanga reo. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna mā te whai wāhi nui ake a te whānau ki ngā whakataunga. 

Me arotake i te whakamahere hōtaka, i te aromātai hōtaka, me te aromatawai mokopuna. I tēnei wā, kāhore ngā tūāhuatanga matua o roto i ngā mahere me ngā aromatawai. 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 e whai hua ai ki ngā mokopuna. 

Ahakoa he kaupapa here, he tukanga hoki e pā ana ki te hauora me te haumaru, he mea nui hoki kia whakawhanakehia e te whānau tētahi rārangi mahi mō te arotake me te whakahou ake i te katoa o ngā kaupapa here me ngā tukanga. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna i te wā e whakaaro nuitia ana tō rātou waiora. 

Ahakoa e pūrongohia ana ngā pūtea i ngā hui ā-whānau, me whakawhanake i tētahi tahua pūtea ā-tau e ārahi ai i ngā whiwhinga moni me ngā utu o te tau. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna i te wā e whakaaro nuitia ana ngā utu. 

Kāhore ngā hōneatanga ohotata e whakamātauhia ana i ia te wā, mō te rū whenua me te ahi. Me āta whakatau te whānau i te whakatutukitanga me te tuhi haere o ngā akoako ohotata i ia toru marama, pūputu ake noa rānei. He tūāhuatanga e whakamōrearea ana pea i te noho haumaru o ngā mokopuna. 

Kāhore i te rawaka te māramatanga o te whānau me ngā kaimahi ki te Children's Act 2014. E mōhio ana te whānau, ā, e whakatau ana hoki Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, e tika ana kia whai wāhi atu te whānau me ngā kaimahi 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. 

Ahakoa he mahere rautaki tā te whānau, kua tae ki te wā kia whakatinanahia tētahi mahere mahi e aroturuki ai i te ahu whakamua ki te whakatutuki i ngā kaupapa rautaki matua me ngā whāinga rautaki. Ka whai hua ngā mokopuna i te wā e āta whakaarotia ana ō rātou matea mō meāke nei. 

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

I te wā o te aromātai, i whakamātauhia e Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga ngā pūnaha o te kōhanga reo ki te whakahaere i ngā āhuatanga i raro iho nei e whai pānga nui ana ki te waiora o ngā tamariki:

• te haumaru whatumanawa (tāpiri atu ko te ārahi mauritau, ko te ārai tamariki)
• te haumaru ā-tinana (tāpiri atu ko te mātakitaki tamariki; ko ngā whakaritenga whakamoe; ko ngā aituā; ko te whāngai rongoā; ko ngā whakaritenga akuaku; ko ngā kaupapa here me ngā tikanga haerenga whakawaho)
• te tū tika o ngā kaimahi (tae atu ki ngā taumata tohu mātauranga; te arowhai a ngā pirihimana; ngā rēhitatanga kaiako; me te tatauranga ki waenga i te kaiako me te tamaiti)
• ngā whakaritenga, tikanga hōneatanga e pā ana ki te ahi me te rū whenua.

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

Kia tutuki i te whānau ngā herenga ā-ture, me tahuri rātou ki te:

• āta whakarite i ngā whai wāhitanga mō te whānau ki te whai wāhi atu ki te whakawhanaketanga me te arotakenga o ngā mahi whakahaere ki te kōhanga reo 
  [R47 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA4 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]
• 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 whakatinanatanga, 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 i tētahi tahua ā-tau hei ārahi i te whakapaunga utu
  [R47 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; GMA9 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008]
• āta whakatau i te noho mōhio o rātou ngā pakeke e whakarato ana i te mātauranga me te atawhai, ki ngā akoako hōneatanga e tika ana mō te rū whenua me te ahi, ā, kia whakatutukihia aua mahi ki te taha o ngā tamariki i ia toru marama, pūputu ake noa rānei. 
  [R46 Ture Mātauranga (Kōhungahunga) 2008; HS8 Paearu Raihana mō ngā Kōhanga Reo kei raro i te maru o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo 2008] 

6 Te Taunakitanga

E taunaki ana Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga kia mahi te whānau ki te taha o te tari ā-rohe o Te Poari Matua o Ngā Kōhanga Reo ki te whakawhanake i tētahi mahere mahi e whakatutuki ana i ngā take katoa i whakaraupapahia ai ki tēnei pūrongo. 

Darcy Te Hau
Toka ā Nuku 
Te Uepū-a-Motu – Māori Services

23 Haratua 2024

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 

Ngāpuhi 

Puhi Kai Ariki

Puhi Moana Ariki

Puhi Taniwharau

Te Kōhanga Reo o Maungataniwha is located in the settlement of Mangamuka, Te Tai Tokerau. It is situated within Te Marae o Mangamuka. The operating licence caters for 18 mokopuna including up to five under two years of age. The whānau have a strong commitment to maintaining ngā tikanga me ngā kawa o te marae. 

3 Evaluation Focus

To what extent do mokopuna show their enjoyment for learning?

Mokopuna express their enjoyment as they participate in a variety of stimulating experiences.

4 Findings 

Mokopuna have opportunities to participate in a range of enjoyable learning experiences. Kuia and kaimahi use various methods such as waiata, prompts, repetition and guidance to foster language development. Tuākana are encouraged to communicate using simple kupu, while pēpi express themselves through smiles and laughter. Mokopuna also benefit from nurturing relationships and meaningful interactions with both adults and their peers. Mokopuna are active participants in formalities such as pōwhiri of visitors to their kōhanga reo and marae. Kaimahi consistently acknowledge mokopuna efforts. They are supported to learn about tikanga and kawa specific to their iwi as well as come to understand their role as tangata whenua. 

The marae setting serves as a natural extension for mokopuna learning experiences. These include learning about carvings, tukutuku patterns and photos of tīpuna. Kaimahi encourage mokopuna exploration of the marae grounds nurturing connections with the whenua, te taiao and their turangawaewae. The rural setting provides opportunities for mokopuna to engage and explore the natural settings that this has to offer. Mokopuna appear happy and settled in their learning. 

Whānau are developing ways in which to manage the kōhanga reo. The Tūtohinga provides direction and guidance for the whānau and is underpinned by the principles of Te Korowai. It also includes the historical information of the kōhanga reo and connections to the local area. Financial matters are regularly reported.  Health and safety registers are in the early stages of implementation to monitor mokopuna overall wellbeing. An annual plan ensures administrative tasks are completed in a timely manner. Employment documentation, including kaimahi safety checks are well administered and up to date. Self-appraisal information focuses on growing kaimahi capability and improvements to practice. Whānau manage the kōhanga reo in the best interest of the mokopuna.

Key Next Steps

There are aspects of whānau whakahaere that need attention. It is time for whānau to establish and implement a process of self-review to ensure key areas of operation and practices are regularly monitored for accountability and improvement purposes.

Whilst there are opportunities for whānau to contribute to management matters, they are yet to meet their responsibilities to regularly attend whānau hui. There are a range of reasons for this including full time working whānau. As a result, there is insufficient input from all whānau members. Consequently, whānau need to find a solution that will support them to adequately meet their responsibilities to the kōhanga reo. Mokopuna would benefit from improved whānau participation in decision making. 

Programme planning, programme evaluation and mokopuna assessment need to be reviewed. Currently, they do not contain critical elements required of planning and assessment. It is time for whānau to seek support for kaimahi to build their capability and capacity to deliver an effective programme for the mokopuna.

Although health and safety policies and procedures are present, it is important for whānau to develop a schedule for reviewing and updating all policies and procedures. Mokopuna benefit when their overall wellbeing is prioritised. 

While financial reporting occurs at whānau hui, an annual budget to guide financial revenue and expenditure for the year requires development. Mokopuna benefit when costs are prioritised. 

Emergency evacuations for earthquake and fire are not regularly practiced. Whānau must ensure emergency drills are carried out and documented at least on a three monthly basis. Mokopuna safety is potentially compromised.

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, in order to prioritise mokopuna safety and wellbeing. 

While the whānau have a strategic plan, it is time to implement an action plan to monitor progress towards meeting the strategic priorities and goals. Mokopuna benefit when their future needs are considered.

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; hygiene; excursion policies and procedures)
• suitable staffing (including qualification levels; police vetting; teacher registration; ratios)
• evacuation procedures and practices for fire and earthquake.

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 whānau are provided with opportunities to contribute in relation to development and review into the management of the kōhanga reo
   [Regulation 47 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; GMA4 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]
• 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 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008; C2 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]
• ensure there is an annual budget to guide financial expenditure
  [Regulation 47 Education (Early Childhood Services] Regulations 2008; GMA9 Licensing Criteria for Kōhanga Reo affiliated with Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008]
• ensure adults providing education and care are familiar with relevant emergency fire and earthquake drills and carry these out with children on an at least three-monthly basis.
  [Regulation 46 Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008, HS8 Licensing criteria for kōhanga reo affiliated with the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust 2008

6 Recommendation

ERO recommends that whānau work alongside the district tari-ā-rohe for support to develop an action plan to address the concerns outlined in this report.

Darcy Te Hau 
Toka-ā-Nuku – Director
Te Uepū ā-Motu – Māori Review Services

23 May 2024

7 Information about the kōhanga reo