Kei whea te waka? Where is the waka?
Photograph used with permission by author
Thousands of moons ago, under a compass of stars, our tupuna (ancestors) traversed the mighty oceans in multiple waka (canoes) to reach our land, Aotearoa. It was an incredible feat that could not be achieved without collective contribution. In present day, the waka continues to represent the need to work together to achieve such greatness – He waka eke noa, we are all in this together. This whakatauki (saying or proverb) encourages and reminds us to be united, supportive, and paddle in unison as a team to move the waka forward.
In education, providing a waka of support for kaiako (teachers) to practice equitable and inclusive education is paramount for the success of all ākonga (students). Behind every effective teacher stand school leaders, community agencies and Ministry of Education staff committed to supporting them to support every child. These professionals work alongside and with teachers can strengthen skill sets, share knowledge and professional learning, and ‘paddle’ beside them when they experience challenges in the classroom. They lend an external ear and help navigate ways forward together.
The Government’s recent release of the new education priorities seems to have ‘missed the waka’. Have the concerns that were raised by the Education Review Office report that highlighted the challenging behaviours that teachers are facing, and the need for shared responsibility with deliberate and joint actions, gone unnoticed? It is difficult to enact this call for collaborative action when outside agencies (e.g. The Ministry of Education) who sit in the waka alongside teachers, are let go. The Government argued that such cuts will lead to ‘increasing front line workers’ (a phrase borrowed from COVID times) yet how this will positively impact those at the ‘chalk face’ is yet to be seen.
ERO, the government's external evaluation agency, reported that under 50% of teachers and principals find it difficult or very difficult to access timely advice from experts or external agencies[1] Yet the government’s immediate solution to strengthening education in Aotearoa where “every child deserves a world-leading education”[i] is Ministry of Education staff cuts... and banning cell phones. There appears to be lack of paddling in unison here.
Equity in education does not happen with the removal of cell phones, nor does it ever lie with one person alone. Our tupuna needed one another to embark on the incredible ocean voyage to Aotearoa. And teachers and principals must have the timely support they need to address the challenges they are facing in providing an equitable and inclusive education to all ākonga.
There is a ‘hup’ call in a six-person waka that signals paddlers to change sides they’re paddling on – it prevents overuse and exhaustion of the paddlers and gives balance to their paddling to keep the momentum of the waka. May we provide the current government a ‘hup’ in hope that teachers aren’t forgotten in this politically changing climate. That their waka of support isn’t lost, empty, idle, or sinking under pressure.
[1] https://evidence.ero.govt.nz/documents/time-to-focus-behaviour-in-our-classrooms#read-online
Kim Manukonga has worked in education for over 25 years with her current role as a Practice Lead for the Resource Teacher Learning and Behaviour service. Whilst in postgraduate study she discovered the similarities between Waka Ama paddling and working in interprofessional and collaborative in teams when supporting kaiako and ākonga with additional needs. This formulated her mahi for her Masters of Specialist Teaching, and is currently working towards her PhD in Specialist Teaching to explore this further (and hopes to get in the waka more herself!). She lives in the beautiful Taranaki region in Aotearoa NZ with her partner and daughter.