Developed from the Building Kaupapa Mäori into early childhood education project by Ngaroma Williams with Mary-Elizabeth Broadley. Download the full report and resources via the Ako Aotearoa website at: www.akoaotearoa.ac.nz/projects/building-kaupapa-m%C4%81ori-early-childhood-education or purchase print copies from: www.akoaotearoa.ac.nz/shop

Ngä Taonga Whakaako – Underlying Theoretical Principles of Tikanga

Ako describes a teaching and learning relationship, where the educator is also learning from the student and where the educators’ practices are informed by the latest research and are both deliberate and reflective.

“Mä te tuakana ka tötika te teina, mä te teina ka tötika te tuakana”

‘It is through the older sibling that the younger one learns the right way to do things, and it is through the younger sibling that the older one learns to be tolerant.

The tuakana, teina roles are embedded within whakapapa as you are born a tuakana or a teina – the one rule that applies within an early childhood educational context is that these roles are gender specific the minute you cross-gender then you are actually referring to the ako principle.

Ako (cross gender)

Tuakana – Teina

Tikanga

• shared opportunities for all teaching and learning

• teaching and learning is lifelong

• recognising the many pathways to results/conclusions

• teaching and learning roles carry the responsibility of reciprocity to all

Tikanga

• shared opportunities for all teaching and learning teaching and learning is lifelong

• recognising the many pathways to results/conclusions

• teaching and learning roles carry the responsibility of reciprocity to all