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Download AudioMany smaller iwi and hapū will need help to contribute to the new Aotearoa Histories curriculum, which will be taught from the beginning of next year.
That’s the word from New Zealand History Teachers Association chair Graeme Ball, who’s welcoming the curriculum as an essential move towards a fairer society.
He says it raises the status of Māori history and knowledge systems, and that will include making sure there is direct Māori input in the classroom.
“Students will actually hear mana whenua stories from mana whenua, not filtered through someone else. It’s letting people tell their own stories, their own narratives. That’s going to take time to work out across the country because of course some hapū and iwi are well-positioned to do that – some are going to need a lot of support,” Mr Ball says.
There also needs to be professional development to ensure teachers are ready for the new approach.
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