November 27, 2014
Community keen on MUMA Steiner kura hourua
About half the places for a new south Auckland partnership school have been taken already, and it's on track to open in the new school year.
Tania Rangiheuea from the Manukau Urban Maori Authority says there has been a positive response from the community around Nga Whare Waatea Marae in Mangere, where the school and its associated early childhood education centre will be located.
The bilingual kura hourua will start small and grow, with a full primary school with more than 200 students by 2019.
She says the partnership school model offers more choices for Maori parents, and many are keen on the promised mix on kaupapa Maori and Steiner education principles.
"We saw a lot of synergies with kaupapa Maori. That whole of child approach to learning whole of whanau, family and community engagement in the learning of a child. We like those things, we like the idea that children should be prepared to be ready to learn. There is an assumption that children are ready from the get go and many of our children are not. So we develop children so that when they are seven they are ready to learn," Ms Rangiheuea says.
Parents of children at the kura hourua will be expected to take an active role in their child's education, but MUMA also has the capacity to extend other services and support to those families.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH TANIA RANGIHEUEA CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjQ0NTg=
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