Nāu te rūnanga, nāku te rūnanga, ka piki ake te ōranga o te iwi : partnership relationships between schools and Māori communities : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University

Abstract

In tracing the development of partnership relationships between Māori, Pākehā and the State, this thesis explores how partnerships are defined and practised. The research examines historically the role of the Treaty of Waitangi in terms of establishing foundations for partnerships, the principles of the Treaty and its interpretation in educational reforms contemporarily, and the practical applications of both the theories and policy for Māori communities. The thesis thus, examines a range of educational initiatives to address Māori community participation and involvement in schooling and critiques the effectiveness of these initiatives to explicitly achieve this. The thesis argues that conceptions of partnership at the school level rely heavily on policy rhetoric that provides no guidelines for implementation. Thus, interpretations of partnerships are based on individuals' or groups' willingness to pursue relationships with Māori communities. While there is a foreseeable positive development of partnership relationships between Māori communities and schools, this thesis argues that this process is reliant upon contexts and situations that Māori have no control over.