The New Zealand Post Primary Teachers' Association has named Vince Hapi as its first Māori vice-president.
Hapi, of Tainui descent, has had a long career in the education sector and he says the honour he has been given is an honour for all of Te Ao Māori.
With more than 20,000 members of the PPTA there are many different points of view for Hapi to take into account in his new role. But the biggest question is where do Māori teachers fit in the PPTA?
"The collective of Māori teachers in the PPTA is a Māori initiative, and it has its own independence," he says.
Pay increases are an issue that teachers have long fought for, with many protests held all over New Zealand in recent years, and it's an issue that is close to the new Māori vice president's heart.
"Pay for teachers must increase. That's an easy one. We have to look at what the government is doing to help teachers. As the saying goes, feathers make the bird fly."
2023 represents a landmark year in New Zealand's educational history, as schools gear up to teach New Zealand history, following a decision by the government to teach domestic history from 2023, and Hapi can hardly wait.
"Get ready, we are ready! There is no good reason to teach the history of other countries, of other people."
