Appendix 1: About Ka Hikitia

Education for Māori: Context for our proposed audit work until 2017.

The Ministry of Education's four focus areas for Ka Hikitia, and priorities for action in each focus area, are set out in the following table.

Focus area The "priorities for action" in this focus area are:
Foundation years
  • participation in high-quality early childhood education
  • effective transitions to school
  • strong early literacy and numeracy foundations
  • effective home-school partnerships focused on learning.
Young people engaged in learning
  • effective teaching and learning for Māori students in years 9 and 10
  • effective professional development and accountable leadership
  • increased student involvement in and responsibility for decision-making about future education pathways
  • improved whānau-school partnerships focused on presence, engagement, and achievement.
Māori language in education
  • strong establishment processes for Māori-medium schools
  • effective teaching and learning of, and through, te reo Māori
  • strengthening the supply of quality teachers
  • building the evidence base for mātauranga Māori.
Organisational success
  • strong leadership in Māori education across the Ministry of Education and the education sector
  • more confident Ministry people working closely with Māori
  • increased Ministry accountability for outcomes
  • use of evidence of what makes the greatest difference for, and with, Māori.

Source: Ka Hikitia – Managing for Success, Ministry of Education.

The Ministry has noted that "levers" for achieving these changes are:

  • increasing the professional learning and capability of teachers;
  • focusing on responsive and accountable professional leadership;
  • setting and resourcing priorities in te reo;
  • increasing whānau and iwi authority and involvement in education; and
  • strengthening inter-agency collaboration.
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