Maori Education: Revolution and Transformative Action

Abstract

This article discusses the most dramatic changes in the New Zealand education system since it was formally established in the 1860s. Maori people who were prepared to go outside the existing state schooling system developed these revolu­tionary changes. They were motivated to make drastic educational change because they were concerned about the educational underachievement of their children and the loss of their language, knowledge, and culture. The article highlights the critical intervention elements at the core of the Maori education revolution, which centers on the use of traditional and contemporary notions of whanau (extended family) values, practices, and structures. Since 1982 Maori people have developed several alternative education innovations in a variety of education sites. These in­clude preschool (Te Kohanga Reo), primary schools (Kura Kaupapa Maori), secon­dary schools (Whare Kura), and postsecondary sites (Whare Waananga). All these initiatives have been based on Kaupapa Maori as a theory and practice of transformation.