Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis have welcomed the release of a paper from independent advisory group, Taumata Aronui, outlining the group’s vision for Māori success in the tertiary education system.
“Manu Kōkiri – Māori Success and Tertiary Education: Towards a Comprehensive Vision – is the culmination of many months of work by Taumata Aronui to look at what we need to do to shape our tertiary education system into – in the words of the rōpū – the best indigenously inspired tertiary education system in the world,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said.
“This vision, along with the group’s ideas about how we will get there, are a valuable contribution to our discussions about the future of tertiary education in this country.”
Taumata Aronui was appointed in 2019 to provide independent advice on how tertiary education can better respond to the needs of Māori learners, communities, and employers, and help improve learner and community outcomes.
Manu Kōkiri presents Taumata Aronui’s aspirations for the tertiary education sector, and a series of high-level policy recommendations for the Government to consider. These include investments in initiatives relating to mātauranga Māori, the elimination of discrimination in the tertiary sector, and nurturing the mana, health and wellbeing of iwi/Māori communities through tertiary education.
“Taumata Aronui has been clear that Manu Kōkiri reflects the views of the rōpū only, and that it expects the Government will want to seek wider advice on the paper before responding to any specific recommendations,” Hipkins said.
“My officials will be working with the rōpū to test, scope and further develop what has been set out in Manu Kōkiri, including through targeted engagement, over the coming months.”
Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis said the aspirations in Manu Kōkiri would be an important input into efforts made to revamp Māori education.
“The ideas of this rōpū will be instrumental. Māori deserve to see themselves in our education system.”
“We’d like to thank the Taumata Aronui members for their hard work over the last two years in producing Manu Kōkiri, and I encourage everyone in the tertiary education sector to take a look at this important piece of work,” the ministers said.
Read the full publication here: https://www.tec.govt.nz/assets/Publications-and-others/69e11be264/Manu-Kokiri-by-Taumata-Aronui-April-2022.pdf