He korōria ki Ahitereiria, inā te whakawhiwhia mō ngā tohu waka reorua mō ngā kura

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I kaha ake te ahurei o te huaraina o te tohu hou i te Kura o Whangamarino i Rotorua i te taenga ake o te whānau Vercoe. E toru ngahurutanga tau ki mua ka whawhai a Hawea Vercoe mō te tohu reorua i ngā pahi kura.

Kua riro i te hinonga o ngā tohu waka reorua mō ngā kura, nā Te Mātawai me Waka Kotahi, he tohutoa Ahitereiriana mō te mahi ngātahi.

I toa a Waka Kotahi me Te Mātāwai hei hinonga kotahi nei i te hui tohutoa i Piripane, Ahitereiria, i te International Association for Public Participation, Australasia Core Values Award i te Wenerei te 25 o Oketopa.

E whakamihi ana te whakamānawa nei i te ara tuku kōrero i te tau 2022 nāna i para te huarahi kia huhua ngā momo tohu ‘Kura’ ka whakatūtū haerehia ki ngā huarahi puta noa i Aotearoa.

I te mahi tahi nei, i nui te whai wāhi mai o ngā hapori Māori, o ngā mātanga reo, o ngā manatū whakahaere waka, o ngā ahumahi, me ērā atu o ngā kiripānga ki te whakawhanake me te whakatū haere i ngā tohu waka reorua mō ngā kura. Mā roto i Te Mātāwai i āhei ai ngā iwi, ngā hapū, me ngā mātanga reo ki te whakapuaki i ō rātou whakaaro me ō rātou mōhio.


Hei tā te hoa-toihau o Te Mātāwai, a Reikura Kahi, he tauira pai te hinonga rā o te noho rangapū, me te aha, hua ake ana te whai wāhitanga mai o te hapori me te kōkiritanga hoki o ngā mahi whakarauora reo i ngā hapori.

“Mā te whai wāhitanga mai o ngā hapori Māori ki te hoahoa me te whiriwhiri i ngā tohu reorua mō ngā kura, ka whakaaturia rā i ngā tohu ō rātou mātāpono, ō rātou mariutanga, me ō rātou wawata. Kua whai arawātea hoki kia nui ake ai te kitea me te kōrerohia o te reo Māori e ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i ia rā.”

I roto i te ara tuku kōrero mō ngā tohu kura, 90% te tapeke o te hunga whakaae ki ēnei tohu.

Hei tā te Kaiwhakahaere Matua o te Pūnaha Hautū o Waka Kotahi, a Chris Bunny, he mea waiwai tā te Māori ārahi i tana whai wāhi mai. Anā, hei tāna:

“E hiahia ana ahau ki te mihi ki Te Mātāwai me ngā poari ā-rohe, mei kore ake tā rātou ārahi, tā rātou whakakitenga ka kore nei mātou e āhei ki te tūhono atu ki ngā mātanga reo me te tuari i ō rātou whakaaro mō tā rātou taonga, arā, mō te reo Māori.”