Statement of Evidence of Dr Daryn Douglas Bean

In the matter of the Resource Management Act 1991 And In the matter A notice of requirement to designate land for education purposes at 116 State Highway 30, Tikitere, Rotorua by the Minister of Education

Statement of evidence of Dr Daryn Douglas Bean

22 June 2021

Solicitors: J Beresford PO Box 90750, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142 DX CP24063 T: +64 9 336 7500 [email protected]

Statement of evidence of Dr Daryn Douglas Bean

1 Introduction

1.1 My full name is Dr Daryn Douglas Bean. I am from Te Arawa. I am from Tūhourangi, Ngāti Whakaue, Tapuika-Ngāti Moko and Ngāti Umutahi.

1.2 I am a Doctor of Government with my doctorate focussed on Māori leadership practice in public administration from Victoria University. I hold an Executive Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Business Studies degree from Massey University. I am a member of the NZ Institute of Directors.

1.3 Previously I worked at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority for 10 years including roles as Deputy Chief Executive Strategic & Corporate and Deputy Chief Executive Māori. I have extensive public sector experience at the interface of Māori development and high level relationship management skills, strategy and leadership development capabilities in the areas of education, international business and community development.

1.4 My role is Deputy Secretary Māori Education (Kaiwhakarite Matamuri mo te Matauranga Maori) at the Ministry of Education (Ministry). I started this role in December 2019. I am responsible for providing leadership and oversight for the implementation of Ka Hikitia and Tau Mai Te Reo, relationships and mātauranga Māori and build cultural capability.

1.5 I am authorised to give this evidence on behalf of the Minister of Education (Minister) and the Ministry.

2 Role in the project and scope of evidence

2.1 I have been involved in this project since 29 January 2020 (a month after I joined the Ministry). My role in this project has been to:

(a) to assist in an advisory capacity in relation to the Minister’s objectives for Māori Medium Education (MME) and Te Reo Māori and the role of the Kura in helping to meet those objectives; and

(b) assist with consultation and relationship building between the Ministry, Ngāti Rangiteaorere and Ngāti Rongomai in relation to the project.

2.2 My evidence addresses paragraph 2.1(a) above. I understand that Dr Ken Kennedy (a representative of Ngāti Rangiteaorere) has requested that the NoR process to be put on hold but that currently there is no submission under the RMA that the Minister could respond to via evidence.

2.3 I am not involved in the operational matters pertaining to the existing Kura or the process of acquiring the site or seeking a designation for the site under the RMA. These matters will be addressed in the evidence of Mr Clive Huggins.

3 Māori medium education

3.1 New Zealand has an education system that has produced levels of student achievement that rate in the top four OECD nations. New Zealand’s efforts to address the disparity that exists between our high and low achievers are well known internationally.

3.2 Māori students are over-represented amongst New Zealand’s low education achievement statistics. Successive governments have been committed to reversing this trend in part by supporting the growth of Māori language education. A significant body of research exists which demonstrates that identity, language and culture matter for Māori learners. In response to this evidence and research, the Ministry is committed to Māori medium provision and strengthening the Māori medium pathway.

3.3 This is of course consistent with Māoridom’s aspiration to revitalise and sustain Te Reo as a living language and as an everyday medium of communication. Te Wharekura o Rongomai (Kura) is strongly committed to this goal and passionate about encouraging and supporting its learners and whānau to learn, speak and use Māori language.

3.4 The Kura will conduct all of its instruction in Te Reo Māori. As a state school, its curriculum is consistent with the objectives and priorities of the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities.1

3.5 Māori language immersion schools are an important part of the revitalisation of Te Reo. They offer an opportunity for children not just to learn Te Reo but to learn in Te Reo – that is, to develop Te Reo as an integral part of their education.

3.6 The Ministry’s two key strategy documents for MME are Ka Hikitia Ka Hapaitia (The Māori Education Strategy) 2 and Tau Mai Te Reo (The Māori language in Education Strategy).3

3.7 Ka Hikitia Ka Hapaitia sets out the Ministry’s broader vision of Māori enjoying and achieving education success as Māori.

3.8 Tau Mai Te Reo is the government strategy to support whānau, hapū and iwi aspirations for genuine education pathway choices for their tamariki and mokopuna in Te Reo. Learners and whānau can expect education services to provide the following outcomes-based pathways:

(a) Mihi Mai – valuing Te Reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori;

(b) Kōrero Mai – learning Te Reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori; and

3.9 Ākonga at the Kura will mostly be learning through Te Reo Māori (Tau Mai) and develop high levels of Te Reo Māori proficiency and use. This will contribute to

1 https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/NELP-TES-documents/FULL-NELP- 2020.pdf. 2 https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Ka-Hikitia-Ka-Hapaitia-FINAL.pdf. 3 https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Tau-Mai-Te-Reo-FINAL.pdf.

the goal that by 2040, 150,000 Māori aged 15 years and over will use the Māori language at least as much as English.

3.10 The establishment of the Kura on this site supports Government goals to foster increased participation and success for Māori students. Specifically, it will provide a genuine education option for whānau and their tamariki to achieve success as Māori and as an uri of Te Arawa. It aligns with the Ka Hikitia Ka Hapaitia vision of Māori enjoying and achieving education success as Māori and Tau Mai Te Reo. This supports the goal to strengthen the Māori medium pathway.

3.11 Currently, Tau Mai provision is compromised by being thinly spread and lacking quality pathways. The investment in the Kura is critical to ensure the sustainability of the Te Reo Māori and education pathway for its ākonga and whānau, and the revitalisation of Te Reo me ōna tikanga of Te Arawa.

4 Te Wharekura o Ngāti Rongomai

4.1 The evidence of Ms Curtis describes the journey taken by the Kura and the constraints of the Kura’s current leased premises. However, I thought it may assist the Commissioners to provide some background information on how the Kura was established, the prior engagement with the community and the educational success of the Kura to date.

(a) Kura are established through a process of application to the Minister and community consultation. In the case of the Kura, Te Wharekura o Ngāti Rongomai was originally opened in 2008 as a satellite unit of Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere located in Putāruru. This is not an unusual first step for kura.

(b) Establishment for years 0-13 as a kura-ā-iwi designated character school was granted in 2018. Kura-ā-iwi are schools whose philosophy and teaching practice is based on the traditions and culture of specific iwi. They are supported by the organisation Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa, the national governing body for the collective of kura.

(c) The provisions of the Education and Training Act 2020 require consultation prior to the approval of any school establishment. The local school community were consulted in 2010, 2013 and 2018 about the establishment of new schools in Rotorua.

(d) Engagement undertaken by the Kura included letters, a community consultation open night and a kaumatua consultation day. The Ministry consulted with the Boards of Trustees of 30 local schools and no concerns were raised.

(e) When the Kura establishment was approved, letters were sent to local MPs, and a gazette notice and media release were also issued.

4.2 The Kura is already an established part of the Rotorua community and is an educational success story compared to other schools in the region in terms of its

attendance and NCEA results. The most recent data is set out in Tables 1 – 3 below. 4

Table 1: Enrolment based cumulative results by ethnicity (percent) Year 11 Year 12 Year 13 Year 13 Academic NCEA NCEA NCEA NCEA Year Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 UE Te Wharekura o Ngāti 2020 91.7 100.0 66.7 66.7 Rongomai National Māori 2020 60.8 71.9 60.7 34.1 Decile 1-3 Māori 2020 56.6 67.3 59.3 25.2

Table 2: Provisional 2020 school leaver qualifications (percent) Qualification 2019 2020 NCEA Level 1 or above 100.0 100.0 NCEA Level 2 or above 100.0 100.0 NCEA Level 3 or above 33.3 50.0 University Entrance award 0.0 50.0

Table 3: Attendance rate for Māori students (percent) Unjustified Justified Present Māori Regular absence absence half- half-days - Attendance School half-days - days - Māori Māori 2020 Rate 2020 ID School name Māori 2020 2020 Te Wharekura o 878 Ngāti Rongomai 1.2 9.6 89.2 60 Total NZ Māori 9.1 7.9 83.1 47.5 Total Bay of Plenty – Waiariki Māori 9.1 8.3 82.7 45.3

5 Conclusion

5.1 The Minister considers that it is important that the Kura be provided with a permanent purpose built home to continue its educational journey and positive contribution that the Kura is making to the Minister’s MME objectives.

Dr Daryn Douglas Bean

22 June 2021

4 Prior to 2019, NCEA results were included in the results of Te Wharekura o Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere in Putāruru. The March 2021 roll of the school was 104 students (March 2019 = 110; March 2020 = 111). The 2020 school leaver data is still provisional, but the enrolment based results have been finalised. The numbers of school leavers are very small (only 4 school leavers in 2020) so there can be quite big fluctuations from year to year.