Why engage your community?
Building educational partnerships with whānau and Māori communities
Māori students' learning outcomes are maximised when there are effective practices and programmes that build partnerships between schools, educators, and whānau.
Each school will find its own approach for building a relationship with its Māori community. The resulting conversations will produce a wealth of ideas, knowledge, and possibilities for working with communities to support educational success for Māori learners.
- Meet with iwi and hapū that have mana whenua in your community. Find out their aspirations for their tamariki and brainstorm ways you can work together to support learning and achievement for Māori students.
- Build personal relationships with Māori students in your school. Find out where they are from, their iwi affiliations, and who their whānau are. Talk with students about their aspirations, their experiences at school, and their ideas for improving the school.
- Meet with Māori parents to discuss their involvement with the school and find out what you can do to improve communication. Find out how they prefer to consult about the curriculum, progress reporting, and Māori student achievement.