supporting tiriti-based curriculum delivery in mainstream early ...

strong feature of responses to this question was linked to Tiriti o Waitangi, as can
be seen in the example below:
Having an understanding of respect for the tangata whenua and working
to honour the Treaty (R. 205).
In Aotearoa New Zealand Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Te Whāriki and
biculturalism, as has been noted by both the Ministry of Education (1996, 1998)
and Ritchie (2003) are intertwined. A response from a Māori respondent which
linked back to the importance of Te Tiriti was:
Two cultures not one, cultural language, values, beliefs, practices,
taonga; customs as a whole/holistic not part. Everything my people
hoped for with Te Tiriti o Waitangi (R. 102).
With Te Tiriti o Waitangi being such a crucial document for the
development of Tiriti-based curriculum was devised, I was interested to discover
how well respondents thought they understood it. They were asked, therefore, to
self-rate their understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi on a five-point scale with 1
being the lowest (no understanding) and 5 the highest (full understanding). Table
6.1 shows their responses.
Table 6.1 Understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Rating 1-5 Frequency Percentage
1 1 1
2 11 14
3 30 39
4 28 37
5 6 8
Total 76 99
It would be fair to say that over three quarters of the respondents thought
they had an average to good understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, which is what
underpins the national curriculum Te Whāriki. Respondents most frequently rated
themselves 3 (n=30 or 39%) or 4 (n=28 or 37%) for understanding of Te Tiriti o
Waitangi. Only one respondent said she had no understanding, with 8% (n=6)
having full understanding.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its promise of partnership govern the relationship
between Māori and the Crown. With partnership being one of the principles of Te
Tiriti o Waitangi it not surprising that nearly half the respondents (47%, n=36)
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