Te piko o te mahuri, tērā te tipu o te rākau
The way in which we define success, monitor achievement and make judgments about our mokopuna impact on who they become. The whakataukī “Te piko o te mahuri, tērā te tipu o te rākau” – the way in which the young sapling is nurtured, determines how the tree will grow – captures this sentiment.
In her address, Hineihaea Murphy, Managing Director of Haemata Associates, draws on her experience in working in the Māori-medium curriculum and assessment context for over 30 years, to discuss how and why we need to be more innovative about the assessment practices we use if we want better, smarter, faster learning. That starts with thinking carefully about what we assess, why, and how. In her view, aromatawai offers the wider schooling sector in Aotearoa a valid and ethical way to make judgments about our mokopuna so that they are excited and motivated about learning, and grow to be confident and successful adults.
Hineihaea (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa, Ngāti Apa, Ngāi Tahu) has been a passionate advocate for Māori language and Māori-medium education for over 30 years. She has been fortunate to have been involved with a number of national education initiatives over this time, in lead or advisory roles. Hineihaea was part of a team who wrote the aromatawai position paper and draft strategy, Te Puāwaitanga Harakeke, for the Ministry of Education. She is currently involved in the writing of three learning areas in the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
