Te Whāriki - New Zealand
By Hannari, Kristen and Ashleigh
Our policies and strategies result in better education for all New Zealanders.
We're focusing on building a world-leading education system that provides all New Zealanders with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful citizens in the 21st century.
- The word 'Whariki' means a woven mat.
- It is a framework for providing children's early learning and development within a sociocultural context.
- It emphasizes the learning partnership between teachers, parents and families.
- Teachers create a holistic curriculum in response to children's learning and development in the early childhood setting.
- Te whāriki concept recognises the diversity of early childhood education in New Zealand.
- It is an inclusive curriculum and welcomes children with special needs.
- Stems from Forest School philosophy.
- Based on four broad principles which children progress across.
Policies
More about the policies...
Updating the Education Act 1989 for young people:
We want all children and young people to have their say about updating the Education Act 1989. Any child or young person can make a submission
The public policy objectives of the Act are to:
- strengthen existing legal regimes to make them more effective and efficient
- modernise out-of-date legislation so it remains relevant, effective, and fit for purpose
- address situations where, over time, the law has become inconsistent with practice or has given rise to practical difficulties
- address omissions in the law.
Te Whāriki is the Ministry of Education's early childhood curriculum policy statement.
It is a framework for providing tamariki (children's) early learning and development within a sociocultural context.
It emphasises the learning partnership between kaiako (teachers), parents, and whānau/families. Kaiako (teachers) weave an holistic curriculum in response to tamariki (children's) learning and development in the early childhood setting and the wider context of the child's world.
The Education Legislation Bill was introduced on 26 November 2015
Childhood education should be:
- to help meet the costs of meeting early childhood care and education,
- to provide a legislative framework which sets acceptable standards,
- to meet it's responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi
- to ensure appropriate and adequately resourced services for Maori,
- to plan for the long term provision of early childhod services.
The Education Act 1989:
The NZ Disability Strategy and the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Two regulations cover the care and well-being of international students studying in NZ:
The Education (Pastoral Care of International Students) Code Of Practice 2016 and the International Student Contract Dispute Resolution Scheme (DRS).
We work to make sure that everyone in the New Zealand education system is aware of and meets their legal responsibilities under the education legislation, especially the Education Act 1989 and the Education Act 1964.
(What Is Government's Role, 1993)
(Education in New Zealand, 2016)
There are four broad principles at the centre of the Te Whāriki curriculum
http://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/ece-curriculum/te-whariki/infants-toddlers-children/
New Zealand
Alvestad, M. and Duncan, J. (2006). “The value is enormous — It’s priceless i think!” New Zealand preschool teachers’ understandings of the early childhood curriculum in New Zealand — A comparative perspective. International Journal of Early Childhood, 38(1), pp.31-45.
Blaiklock, K. (2010). Te Whāriki , the New Zealand early childhood curriculum: is it effective?. International Journal of Early Years Education, 18(3), pp.201-212.
Cederman, K. (2008). Not weaving but drowning? The child. com in New Zealand early childhood pedagogies. International Journal of Early Childhood, 40(2), pp.119-130.
Coon, D. and Mitterer, J. O. (2010). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior with concept maps. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Clarkin-Phillips, J. (2012). Connecting Curriculum and Policy to Assist Families’ Aspirations. Waikato Journal of Education, 17(1).
Cullen, J. (1996). The challenge of Te Whariki for future developments in early childhood education. P. 113-126.
[Online] Available at: http://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/ece-curriculum/te-whariki/the-principles-strands-and-goals-of-the-early-childhood-curriculum/empowerment-whakamana/ [accessed 4 Nov. 2016].
[Online] Available at: http://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/ece-curriculum/te-whariki/infants-toddlers-children [accessed 4 Nov. 2016].
[Online] Available at: http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/4462/HargravesV.pdf?sequence=3 [accessed 20 Nov. 2016].
Knight, S. (2013). Forest School and Outdoor Learning in the Early Years. 2nd Ed. London: SAGE.
Ministry of Social Development, (2004). WHOLE CHILD APPROACH A guide to applying the whole child approach. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Social Development and Ministry of Youth Affairs, p.5.
Wilson, R. (2008). Developing the Whole Child: Celebrating the Spirit of Each Child. [online] Earlychildhoodnews.com. Available at: http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=545 [Accessed 22 Nov. 2016].
Whole Child Education. (2016). Home Page - Whole Child Education. [online] Available at: http://www.wholechildeducation.org [Accessed 21 Nov. 2016].
- New Zealand is an island nation in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
- Due to its remoteness, it was one of the last lands to be settled by humans.
- Between 1250 and 1300 CE, Polynesians settled in the islands that would later become New Zealand, and developed a distinctive Māori culture.
- During the 1600s a dutch explorer was the first European to visit New Zealand.
- In 1840, representatives of the British Crown and Māori Chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi, making New Zealand a British colony.
- Today, the majority of New Zealand's population of 4.7 million is of European descent; the indigenous Māori are the largest minority.
- Primary and secondary schooling is compulsory for children aged 6 to 16, with the majority attending from the age of 5. Early childhood Education (ECE) is not compulsory but 95% of children attend some form of ECE.
The learning environment will assist children in their quest for making sense of and finding out about their world if:
- adults know the children well, providing the basis for the “give and take” of communication and learning
- adults provide “scaffolding” for the children’s endeavors
- appropriate and interesting play materials are provided that children can change and interact with
- there are active and interactive learning opportunities, with opportunities for children to have an effect and to change the environment
- there are opportunities for social interaction with adults and other children.
(New Zealand ECE teachers talk about Te Whāriki, 2009)
Requirements:
To be employed as a kindergarten teacher in a permanent position you must hold a recognized early childhood education teaching qualification and be a registered teacher with full or provisional registration, or registration subject to confirmation.
Kindergarten associations provide comprehensive induction programmes for all beginning teachers (provisionally registered teachers) overseen by the professional leadership teams (senior teachers) employed by each association.
(New Zealand Kindergartens Inc: Careers, 2009)
- Public schooling is free from the child's 5th birthday until 19 years old.
- Many children go to a school close to where they live - enrolment scheme called zoning.
Children learn through responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places, and things.
Children should be provided with the opportunity to form strong friendship bonds in which positive friendship skills would be developed.
Preschoolers are able to think about other children’s feelings and are learning the qualities and skills of being a good friend, including:
- taking turns
- including other children’s ideas in play
- doing what other children want to
- sharing their toys
- understanding how other children may be feeling
- using words to describe their feelings and thoughts
...What could be an issue?
Relationship-forming environment:
Lev Vygotsky's social learning theory
- qualified staff
- safe & relaxed atmosphere
- challenging learning
- passion
- love of children
- lovingly-care
- stress-free environment
- respect
- learning extended opportunities
- full potential
- proud of teachers
- open-hand & open environment
- quality care
- learn from older children
On a piece of paper... note down key words that may lead to the formation of healthy relationships within Adventureland.
When ECE educators and families and whānau work together, everyone can help your child learn how to:
- reflect on different ways of doing things
- make links across time and place
- develop different kinds of relationships
- see different points of view.
...RELATIONSHIPS...
This principle relates to The New Zealand Curriculum Framework principles of enabling programmes to be designed and implemented appropriately to the individual needs of children, to recognize the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and to reflect the multicultural nature of New Zealand society.
(Practical information about education for parents and carers - Education in New Zealand, 2016)
- Today's system/curriculum
- 4 principles of the curriculum
- Policies and government involvement
- Workshops for teachers to know exactly how to 'challenge' and 'develop' children with special needs.
- Create a specific day of the week where teachers can communicate with each other about any concerns with the curriculum.
- Provide teacher and parent training courses on the theory of Te Whariki to ensure their understanding which will better their way of teaching.
- Document each child's progress and outcomes to show the developmental process and improvements of the children.
- Teachers may ignore the bicultural requirements.
- There may be possibilities of teachers feeling restricted on what they teach within a co-constructive framework.
- Decrease in community-based, parent-run services such as play centers.
- Te Whāriki does not require any specific result. No specifications of outcomes and practices.
- Concerns of teachers becoming 'comfortable' within the system and no longer providing challenges.
Family & Community
Empowerment
- Te Whariki means Woven Mat in Maori.
- Stems from Forest School philosophy.
- It consists of 4 main principles including - Relationships, Families and Communities, Holistic Development and Empowerment.
- It is a framework for providing children's early learning and development within a sociocultural context.
Family, whānau and community: a child’s family, whānau and community are recognised as part of the learning experience.
Self Determination Theory
- Cognitive, social, cultural, physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of human development are integrally interwoven.
- Te Whariki is based on the concept that learning is integrated like a woven mat.
- Reflected throughout holistic nature of the curriculum.
- The teachers focused around the whole child, in contrast to planning for different aspects of a child’s development, which had often shaped their programmes before introducing Te Whãriki.
- A sociocultural emphasis is demonstrated throughout the document as mentioned previously with family, parents and community all playing an important role in educating the child.
- Children are often motivated by external factors which heavily influence their behaviour.
- These extrinsic influences are often associated with reward systems, grades, or the opinions they fear others might have of them.
- Children are motivated from within, by interests, curiosity, care or abiding values.
- Teachers who empower children to simply enjoy the activity or see it as an opportunity to explore, learn, and actualize their potentials will stimulate the developmental process.
What are your thoughts on Te Whariki?
Do you agree with the the principles that are woven in to this curriculum?
'This curriculum emphasises the critical role of socially and culturally mediated learning and of reciprocal and responsive relationships for children with people, places, and things.'
' Children learn through collaboration with adults and peers'
The well-being of children is interdependent with the well-being and culture of:
- adults in the early childhood education setting;
- whānau/families;
- local communities and neighborhoods.
Criticisms of the Holistic Nature
Would you incorporate any of this in to your own practice?
Holistic Development Theories
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Spirituality and Holistic Development
Maslow (1943) believed that children are motivated to achieve certain needs. Te Whariki incorporates this philosophy by providing children with holistic care - that involves basic needs, personal, social and emotional needs.
Spirituality is an important dimension of the holistic development of young children, much like autonomy, resilience and responsibility. Unfortunately, it often remains as a forgotten area in early childhood education in many cultures (Zhang, 2012).
Maslow believed that for the child to truly receive Holistic care would be to reach Self Actualization. This can also be described as a child's spirituality.
- The generalised and holistic nature of Te Whariki means that teachers are provided with little guidance about how to provide effective learning experiences in relation to particular subject content areas (e.g., music, art, drama, mathematics, science, literacy).
- It is possible that subject content could be lost within the holistic approach of Te Whariki.
What do Froebel, Pestalozzi and Montessori have in common?
These names are all recognised as the pioneers for a child centred approach.
But less known is that they also had strong focus on holistic education and believed that education should contribute to the spiritual development of children. They all viewed the young child as more than just a growing mind. They saw a spiritual dimension to human development as well.
Wilson, R. (2008)
Lin, Y. (2014)
Teacher B: Te Whãriki … it’s brought everything for me back to the basics. The real basic things of learning. The things that are really important. Relationships, communication, consultation, holistic needs of the child – the whole needs of the child, not just, you know, the maths and language.
Bronfenbrener
Whole Child Approach
Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, is underpinned by the ecological theory of Urie Bronfenbrenner (Ministry of Education, 1996; Bronfenbrenner, 1979).
With 2 of the principles including relationships, family and friends and the wider community.
Acknowledging the need to hold on to their Maori Culture.
Keeping communication open to other services that support children, so that all of the systems are working together.
According to the Ministry of Social Development (2004) the Government agreed that the whole child approach should be the basis for child policy.
Meaning that they:
'Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model of development suggests our world consists of five systems (micro, meso, exo, macro, and chronosystems) and that the interactions between these systems offer a diversity of options for growth.'
(Clarkin-Phillips, 2012)
(Alvestad and Duncan, 2006)
- Look at the big picture - of the child’s whole life and circumstances.
- Focus on what children need for healthy development and wellbeing.
- Looking across the whole public service at what can be done to support children’s healthy development.
- Considering multi-level interventions in the settings of family/whanau, friends and peers, school and the wider community.
- Viewing children as having valuable knowledge to contribute to developing and evaluating policies and services that affect them
- Considering ways in which children can be involved in decision-making on issues that affect them.
(Ministry of Social Development, 2004)
- The act of empowering children is a process of guiding them to feel and believe that they are powerful and capable.
- The more you believe, the more they will achieve - Empowering them to go after their dreams.
- Individual skills and contributions of each child are valued and always positively praised.
- Encourages children to become independent and lifelong learners.
- Encouragement and individual care for children with special needs.
This principle relates to The New Zealand Curriculum Framework principles of relating learning to the wider world and of providing the flexibility to respond to different conditions, different needs, and the expectations of local communities.
(Education.govt.nz, 2015)
http://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/ece-curriculum/te-whariki/the-principles-strands-and-goals-of-the-early-childhood-curriculum/empowerment-whakamana/
Inclusion Within Te Whāriki
Te Whāriki is designed to be inclusive and appropriate for all children and anticipates that special needs will be met as children learn together in all kinds of early childhood education settings.
- Piaget’s stage theory - implications for developmentally appropriate practice remains influential today.
- Piaget believed that a child cannot continue to the next stage of development without accomplishing the first stages.
- Teachers focus on the developmental stage of a child and their capabilities to ensure development takes place especially those with special needs.
- Children learn through their environment - play.
http://aut.researchgateway.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10292/4462/HargravesV.pdf?sequence=3
- Activities will be age and developmentally appropriate.
- An individual Education Plan (IEP) will be developed for each of these children.
- Objectives for an IEP will be realistic, useful, and of value to the child and family.
- Full support to family is given by the practitioners to ensure the childs needs are always being met at school as well as at home.
http://www.education.govt.nz/early-childhood/teaching-and-learning/ece-curriculum/te-whariki/infants-toddlers-children/