October 19, 2018
Culture counts as Kaikohe tackles education gap
FREDA MOKARAKA INTERVIEW CLICK HERE
A Northland principal says getting things right with boys at the cusp of adolescence is critical to creating good men and future leaders.
Kaikohe Intermediate will run the pilot for a new programme devised by Te Rūnanga a Iwi o Ngāpuhi and the JR McKenzie Trust for year 7 to 10 boys aimed at addressing widespread disengagement from formal education.
Principal Freda Mōkaraka says the Kaikohekohe project will address their sense of belonging to the area and to Ngāpuhi as a way to encourage them to stay at school and achieve.
She says it’s not just for boys who are already getting into trouble but for any who might benefit and be willing to buy into the kaupapa.
"Culture counts so embracing everything that comes with them, identifying areas they may not know about or have experienced, giving them exposure to opportunities to embrace their culture, language and identity, because we have noticed a lot of tamariki will have snippets of it but not have a huge understanding," Ms Mokaraka says.
Kaikohekohe will also embrace whānau and encourage them to become part of the education partnership.
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