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

This consideration of power is problematic for Māori. As noted in the
Prologue to this thesis, O‟Sullivan (2007) argued that the essentially colonial
nature of the term biculturalism, locates Māori as subordinate partner in relation to
the Crown. Bishop (1996) includes biculturalism as part of “central government‟s
sequential policies of assimilation, integration, multiculturalism, biculturalism and
Taha Māori” (p.12). Taha Māori was a programme implemented in schools, taught
mostly by Pākehā who were “monocultural and inadequately trained for such a
task… [and] will have counter-productive effects on Māori people and Māori
culture (G. H. Smith, 1990, p. 191).
Taha Māori according to Smith was more about strengthening Pākehā
culture and was related to dominant culture interests developed by the Ministry of
Education. Indeed, given this perspective it is rather alarming that Kane‟s (2005)
research about initial teacher education led her to express concern that programmes
were continuing Taha Māori-type approaches by adding courses of tikanga Māori
and/or te reo Māori within existing teacher education programmes. She stated that
it “may be problematic if the ideas, skills and dispositions advocated in the „added-
on‟ courses are not reinforced in the rest of the „regular‟ curriculum papers” (Kane,
2005, p. 130). It, therefore, becomes crucial that early childhood teacher education
providers are ensuring their lecturers move from being monocultural, so that they
too can develop skills and knowledge to weave Tiriti-based curriculum into all
their papers. Several strategies have been set up at the Te Kura Matauranga School
of Education at AUT University to do this, including appointing an Associate Head
of School (Māori) to guide us through the process of incorporating Tiriti-based
pedagogy and practices in all our papers. Other strategies include staff
participation in Tiriti o Waitangi workshops, reviewing papers and programmes for
Tiriti-based content.
With biculturalism being viewed adversely on a continuum of Māori
assimilation and integration (Bishop, 1996) it may not be all that desirable to put it
into action. It was important to consider before starting this thesis whether I was
advocating for Taha Māori in another guise. The difference is that firstly Te
Whāriki was produced in partnership with Māori. The strands and principles
reflect Māori world views and the compilation of the early childhood curriculum
were guided by Māori.
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