A new partnership between Te Rūnanga-Ā-Iwi o Ngāpuhi, philanthropic funder the JR McKenzie Trust and Kaikohe Intermediate School is looking to "change the narrative" by challenging and transforming deficit views and statistics, thereby growing young Māori boys who live in Kaikohe into great men.
The partners said a trend of recurring negative behaviour painted a bleak future for young Māori males in Kaikohe, particularly within the Year 7-10 age bracket. Students were disengaging in formal education; 77 per cent of stand-downs and 87 per cent of those suspended in the past two years were boys.
The Kaikohekohe Education Project recognised those challenges but was not dwelling on them as a defining factor.
The project was defined as a values- and strength-based programme for Year 7-10 taitama (Māori boys), the future fathers, partners, community leaders, and the next generation of Ngāpuhi. Taitama were seen as key members of the Kaikohe community, who were at their greatest potential to contribute, innovate and challenge how society functioned and designed success.
"Through early intervention and positive reinforcement, we want to bring excitement and engagement back into the educational systems of the Kaikohe community, particularly for our young Māori boys," Te Rūnanga-A-Iwi o Ngāpuhi general manager Erena Kara said.
"Current approaches just aren't working, so we're doing things differently, based on the principles and values of being proud as Māori and Ngāpuhi".