Abstract:
Kura kaupapa Māori graduates are making positive contributions as bilingual and bicultural citizens to New Zealand society and to the wider world. Unique to New Zealand, kura kaupapa Māori provide a primary school education in which children are immersed in a Māori language and cultural environment with the aim of enabling graduates to ‘live as Māori’ in the western world. Narratives from some of the graduates from the first kura kaupapa Māori established in Auckland between 1984-1989, demonstrate how the establishment of effective relationships between teachers and students motivated learning. Information is also provided about the learning of English language literacy skills. In the early days of kura kaupapa Māori, classrooms were set up specifically for the teaching of English and placed apart from the main teaching areas to ensure the students’ Māori language was kept intact. The graduates share their varied experiences of learning English at kura kaupapa Māori and express a recognition of the benefits of being skilled in the literacies of both Māori and the English language. For the majority of the graduates it has been Māori language knowledge that has secured them employment in television and teaching. For those who have chosen the academic world, their Māori and bicultural knowledge has provided valuable understandings and insight for study and associated work. As bilingual and bicultural adults the graduates demonstrate self-confidence, self-determination and the ability to advance their talents to high levels of achievement. This presentation will interest all those who work or study in indigenous education, and particularly those curious about the place of English literacy in indigenous language education.