Whanau should seek active role in children's education

Tariana Turia PHOTO/FILE

As Grandparents, parents, caregivers, teachers and politicians we often debate what we should be doing individually and collectively to improve Maori achievement in the education system.

Expectations that our children will achieve academic qualifications at school are now higher than ever given the competitive state of the job market and the unemployment rate for Maori. The role of parents, the whanau, the community and the state in the educating of our children is critical. Each group has an equally important role to play.

Without a doubt, over the decades government systems and policies have created a climate of dependency - taking away the responsibility of our families to take the initiative and do for themselves. For generations, parents and caregivers have dropped their children off to school and have remained disconnected from the education of their children because the system has told us that the role of educating our children from the age of 5 belongs to the state.

Teaching theory used to promote the concept of the "tabula rasa" - that every child starting school is a blank slate, simply waiting for teachers to write on it. In other words, the knowledge and experience gained at home and within the setting of the family, had no value or relationship to learning. This has placed parents and families in a passive role in educating their children for generations. For struggling families their disconnection to schools is exacerbated by their circumstances.

Maori initiatives like Kohanga Reo, Puna Reo, kura kaupapa Maori, Wharekura and Kura a Iwi where there are higher levels of whanau participation have shown how important whanau involvement is - and the results speak for themselves.

It was really exciting earlier this month, for instance, to see that in the 40 secondary schools of the Wellington region, Te Kura Maori o Porirua and Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o nga Mokopuna rated in the top five, after achieving 100 per cent pass rate in the "no merit" category. Students from these schools are achieving at a much more successful rate than Maori students in mainstream schools, and have shown us the potential of utilising parents and whanau.

These schools are an absolute credit to the parents, staff and wider whanau who have invested often hours and hours of voluntary time at the initial stages and beyond. They have not only recognised the importance of whanau in the education of our children but have also expected families to step up and take a role in the education of their children. Essentially, it is Whanau Ora alive and well in our Maori education schools.

This level of participation could be unleashed in mainstream schools. Harnessing the potential of the extended whanau to support their schools and their children would give parents and whanau a greater sense of importance around their children's education and their school. It would raise an appreciation of the role and work of the teachers and promote a sense of pride amongst whanau.

Educating our children is also about educating our parents and allowing them a role in the school. Teachers would have more time to teach the students rather than be caught up in truancy or bullying issues.

It is about changing the relationship between schools and parents and allowing the families to help redefine what education really means for them and their children. It is also about moving away from entrenched practices where parents once played only a passive role in their child's education.

Our children spend at least six hours of their day over 13 years of their lives at school. That is a huge part of their lives where their families often have little or no influence or involvement. Sure some families may think because they have not trained as a teacher or have no formal qualifications there is no role for them in the classroom.

But by being involved at the early stages of their child's education parents can learn with their children. When we ask 'What can we do to support Maori achievement?' We should also ask 'What can extended families do to support their children at school?'