I whakaputahia tuatahia tēnei atikara e Pukaea
Māori education leaders are seeking assurances that specialist expertise supporting Māori assessment and qualifications will be retained as the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) consults staff on a proposed restructure of its Assessment Division.
NZQA confirmed to Pūkāea that staff are currently being consulted on the proposal but said it could not comment further while the consultation process remains underway.
PSA Te Kaihautū Māori Jack McDonald said the union was still preparing its formal response, with the proposal having been released to staff only last Wednesday.
However, he said the PSA had significant concerns, describing it as “very likely” the proposed changes would impact PSA members.
McDonald believed the proposal would have wider implications for Māori education.
“The proposed restructure has potential to impact all Māori learners and education providers across the country through the proposed disestablishment of Ngā Poutoko Aromatawai Māori, which is a key internal partnership structure that oversees and protects the use of mātauranga Māori in assessment practice,” he said.
According to NZQA position descriptions, Ngā Poutoko Aromatawai Māori develops, reviews and maintains qualifications and assessment standards grounded in mātauranga Māori, supports external assessment and moderation, and works alongside whānau, hapū, iwi, kura, tertiary providers and subject experts to ensure qualifications remain relevant and responsive to Māori learners.
Ko ngā kaupapa Māori ka raru
McDonald said the PSA was concerned the proposal would weaken specialist Māori capability within NZQA and risk isolating kaupapa Māori within a mainstream organisational model.
“The agency is claiming that the changes will embed mātauranga Māori, but they have not engaged any Māori to help them design the changes.”
He said the proposal reflected what he believed was part of a broader pattern across the public service.
“This proposal is part of an anti-Māori Government agenda across the public service and state sector that has seen a significant reduction in kaupapa Māori and Te Tiriti-focused teams, roles and programmes.
“The continued erosion of Māori capability within the public service will ultimately undermine efforts to reduce Māori economic, social and cultural disparities.”
The Ministry of Education confirmed it was aware of the proposed changes within NZQA’s Assessment Division but said organisational decisions relating to the authority sat with NZQA.
The proposal comes as schools and kura prepare for the Government’s phased replacement of NCEA with a new senior secondary qualification system from 2028.
The Government said when it announced the replacement of NCEA in May that the reforms were intended to create a clearer, more consistent and internationally comparable qualifications framework while expanding subject choices for Māori-medium learners.
While declining to comment on the proposal itself, the Ministry said in a statement to Pūkāea that it remained focused on strengthening outcomes for Māori learners through the revised Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.
It said the new qualification system, to be introduced progressively between 2028 and 2030, would provide Māori-medium learners with a broader range of subject choices and learning pathways.
Te Rūnanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori Kaitakawaenga Hohepa Campbell said the organisation had not been consulted on the proposal. He said, however, the organisation’s concern was not organisational change.
“Our concern is about ensuring that Kura Kaupapa Māori continue to have access to specialist expertise that understands Te Aho Matua, te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori.
“Assessment must reflect who our tamariki are, how they learn, and the aspirations of our kura.”
Campbell said Te Rūnanga Nui had worked alongside specialist Māori assessment personnel within NZQA for many years, including the recent development of wharekura student assessment portfolios designed to better reflect Te Aho Matua and recognise a broader range of student learning and achievement. He said any future arrangements should strengthen rather than diminish that work.
“Any changes within NZQA must not come at the expense of the quality, integrity and cultural authenticity of assessment for Kura Kaupapa Māori.”
Campbell said Te Rūnanga Nui expected any future structure to retain specialist capability, maintain strong relationships with Kura Kaupapa Māori, and continue to uphold the Crown’s obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Wai 1718 Kura Kaupapa Māori claim.
Me ū ki ngā kaupapa Māori
Te Wharekura o Ruatoki tumuaki Te Rangihaeata Hare said the people supporting Māori assessment were valued because they brought practical experience as kaiako and a deep understanding of te ao Māori.
“Most of them are practitioners. They’ve been kaiako or they’ve actually been in the field of NCEA. It’s better to have the people we know, who know, who have been there and done that,” Hare told Pūkāea.
He said any future assessment system needed to recognise Māori approaches to teaching and learning.
“I think they need to acknowledge our way of learning and our way of teaching. It’s better if we show you how it’s done rather than talk about how it’s done.”
Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Huiarau tumuaki Lindsay Dunn, whose kura serves the Tūhoe community of Ruatāhuna in Te Urewera, said the proposal was being examined by the Ngā Kura-ā-Iwi collective. While his understanding was that the changes would have little direct impact on its members, he believed they reflected a broader trend affecting Māori education.
“My view is that these changes are being made to attempt again to disadvantage ākonga Māori,” Dunn said.
“Now, with the advent of truly Māori education for our Māori ākonga, by our kaiako Māori, we are seeing the acceleration of truly fantastic outcomes for the aforementioned groups despite the continual change and harassment from Crown entities.”