Abstract:
This thesis has originated from the question 'Where are the graduates of kura kaupapa
Maori? In examining three generations in their search for educational success the study
incorporates a kaupapa Maori theoretical approach. An analysis is made of what was
considered educational success for my mother's generation at a time when they started
school with Maori as their first language and they were confident in their t1kanga and
Maori ways of behaving. An exploration then occurs around what was considered
educational success for my generation who were born in the 1950's This period saw
monolingualism as the pathway to providing the appropriate skills for children to allow
full and successful participation in society.
The outcomes of the kUTa kaupapa movement are then looked at in terms of what counts
as educational success through the analysis of interviews conducted with a cohort of
graduates who were pupils in kura kaupapa Maori, in the 1990s, approximately ten years
ago. This involves tracking the educational history of these graduates from kura
beginnings untiJ the present day.
The study found that the teaching of Maori language and culture can provide the basis
for a strong identity, which it is argued, is essential for learning. The upbringing and
schooling that my mother and the kura kaupapa Maori graduates respectively
experienced, helped them to develop bilingualism and competent participation in the
Maori world and the wider society.
