Te mahana o te ahi kā roa - Tiriwa: A school marae and 'Success as Māori'

Abstract

School marae are increasingly common in mainstream state secondary schools in Aotearoa / NewZealand. But such marae have, so far, attracted very little research attention - either from the Ministry of Education or the academy. Given school marae offer a site for the development of the Ministry's educational aim of 'Māori succeeding as Māori', this project contributes to both research on school marae, and on the ways that 'success as Maori' might be understood in this context. As a qualitative study, informed by kaupapa Māori research methodology, this work examines the experiences of a group of eight Māori students and five whānau who participate at Tiriwa Marae --- a school marae located in a large urban secondary school in West Auckland. How do Māori students and whānau at Tiriwa understand 'success'? What does 'being Māori' mean to them and how does the marae inform their interpretation of the educational ideal --- 'success as Māori'? The thesis outlines key themes raised by the participants as the educational, social and cultural benefits of their school marae experiences. In doing so, the project contributes to future debates about the educational significance of school marae. It also represents a lasting record of the views and experiences of the Tiriwa Marae whanau in 2011.