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

eing desirable, understanding what that entailed and how it would be enacted was
not clearly stated. What were stated were facets that teachers would want included
in their partnership model. A strong feature was a bilingual environment:
Māori language frequently side-by-side with English, on the walls (CS2,
7.5.04).
Not only was this one of the aims teachers wanted to achieve, but I was
able to observe this phenomenon occurring more and more visibly within the case
study centres as the research evolved. However, for Case Study One participants,
as expressed in their vision, Tiriti-based curriculum went beyond the linguistic use
of te reo Māori. They stated that in an ideal bicultural world te reo Māori would be
routinely spoken:
Staff not consciously using te reo but it naturally flows; where I don‟t
have to think but it is part of my personality, with correct pronunciation.
Children should be confident in speaking their own language. The
importance and place of te reo - Māori language. Oral culture – tied to
the land. Natural phrases good to use (Vision: CS1, 1/3/04).
Given that Te Whāriki is an expression of Tiriti-based curriculum it was
not surprising to find it linked to what participants perceived to be an ideal
bicultural curriculum. It was in response to the question asking them to describe
their ideal bicultural curriculum that links to Te Whāriki emerged:
Incorporating bicultural aspects of Te Whāriki (R. 130).
Surprisingly, neither Case Study One nor Case Study Three teachers made
any reference to Te Whāriki when creating their visions. It could be that Te
Whāriki so strongly symbolises Tiriti-based curriculum that they felt that there was
no need to articulate it. Case Study Two teachers, however, aimed for a vision in
which Te Whāriki was very visible:
Te Whāriki is everywhere; it‟s the driving force, it weaves it together
(Vision: CS 2, 7/5/04).
As well as Te Whāriki and partnership, an appropriate environment was
seen as being integral to participants‟ ideal Tiriti-based curriculum:
Authentic use of environment, natural resources, and Māori artefacts (R.
211).
Case Study Two teachers also wanted an environment and resources that
were reflective of Tiriti-based programmes. During mat times teachers visualised
discussing Māori concepts. They wanted to increase their resources of Māori
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