Matauranga Strategy - Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated

4.0 Mäori Membership on Boards of Trustees
In their report to the Ngäti Kahungunu Mätauranga Board, Te Taiwhenua o Tamaki Nui ä Rua
highlighted the need for Mäori whänau in their district to increase their involvement in schools,
particularly as Board of Trustee (BOT) members. They reported that of the 34 schools in their
district,17 had no Mäori board members, representing 50% of the schools without Mäori
participation in governance. In 2001 the number of Mäori BOT members totalled 15 (Chase
2001). The issue of Mäori under-representation on school BOT’s has been an ongoing problem
nation-wide since the education reforms of Tomorrow’s Schools were first introduced by the
fourth Labour Government in 1989. Very often Mäori are the single voice for their community
on these committees with little or no chance of advancing Mäori interests in a context where
non-Mäori dominate (Johnston 1992).
Table 9 shows the BOT membership across Ngäti Kahungunu in 1999. The pattern of
membership indicates that Mäori remain under-represented on most boards such as in Hastings
where Mäori represented only 22% of board membership. However in Wairoa Mäori comprised
over half of all BOT members.
Issues relating to Governance and management structures particularly of schools located in
small rural communities has led to the formation of Cluster Schools such as the Wairoa West
Cluster Schools (WWCS). Among the central aims in the formation of WWCS are to share
ideas and best practice, of combining boards on a small scale and the appointment of a
Schools’ Director for a fixed term period to assist with the management and governance of
schools generally (WWCSSC 2002). This is an attempt to address issues such as board
disharmony, recruitment of sufficient numbers of board members to ensure strong competent
boards. It is also seen as a way of reducing school governance requirements and obligations
and reducing the pressure on principals to guide boards (ibid) 17 .
Table 9
Mäori Membership on Boards of Trustees 1999
District
Elected /appointed parent
Co-opted member
Mäori % of Total Mäori % of Total
Wairoa 59 55.7 12 70.6
Hastings 62 22.3 18 38.3
Napier 21 13.7 7 30.4
Central HB 18 18.2 4 20
Tararua 13 8 7 23.3
Masterton 8 6.5 2 11.1
Carterton 7 21.2
Sth Wairarapa 3 7.5 1 16.7
Source: MOE, March 2000
17 See also MOE (2000). Better Relationships for Better Learning: Guidelines for Boards of Trustees and Schools
on Engaging with Maori Parents, Whanau and Communities. Wellington, Ministry of Education.
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