Matauranga Strategy - Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated

Executive Summary
Early Childhood Services
• The launch of the Government’s 10 year early childhood education plan is an opportune
time for NKII, the Taiwhenua or individual hapu to seek closer involvement in setting goals
and priorities for the early education of Mäori children in Ngäti Kahungunu.
• Generally Hawkes Bay 1 has one of the highest ECE participation rates in the country.
Mäori children aged 0-4years constitute 26.85% of all enrolments (Maori & non-Maori) in
Early Childhood services across the Ngäti Kahungunu rohe.
• Wairoa records a significant level of participation, 67% of total ECE (Maori and non-Maori)
enrolments in the Wairoa district, compared with the enrolment levels in all other areas
which are low when compared with the general ECE population.
• Information on participation rates according to each age group is probably necessary to
determine the target set in Strategy 6 of the NKII strategic plan. This may allow for more
meaningful targets to be set by NKII or individual Taiwhenua, in consultation with the
Ministry of Education to ensure that such targets are realised.
• The data suggests the participation of Mäori children in early childhood education in Ngäti
Kahungunu is satisfactory in most Taiwhenua rohe. What is not known is the quality of
education Mäori children are receiving both within mainstream services and kohanga reo,
and whether or not the outcomes for children are positive.
Te Kohanga Reo
• Over half of Mäori enrolments in early childhood services in Kahungunu are located in
kohanga reo which corresponds with national trends.
• Little is known about the quality of service provision and the outcomes for children. In
particular the long term affects of kohanga on their education and achievement in Mäori
medium schools such as Te Kura Kaupapa Mäori or mainstream.
Early Childhood Education Parenting Programmes
• Early parenting programmes were identified as an education priority in Ngäti Kahungunu.
This priority recognises the crisis among Ngäti Kahungunu whanau where the number of
cases of violent child abuse and child killings are among the highest and most extreme
in the country (HBDHB 2002). Such cases are high profile examples that have galvanised
local iwi and community groups into some form of collective action.
• Four significant parenting programmes are offered in Kahungunu, targetted in those areas
considered high risk. All four parenting programmes are offered to families in Flaxmere
with three programmes delivered from within Flaxmere at Kimiora Community School. By
contrast only PAFT in Napier and Wairoa, and Family Start in Wairarapa, are offered
outside the Heretaunga Taiwhenua.
1 Hawke’s Bay generally consists of five taiwhenua - Te Wairoa, Te Whanganui a Orotu, Heretaunga, Tamatea
and Tamaki nui a Rua.
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