Tom Cavanagh

Creating Culturally-safe Schools for Maori Students

In order to better understand the present trends in New Zealands schooling contexts, there is a clarion call for educators to develop sensitivity and sensibility towards the cultural backgrounds and experiences of Maori students. This paper reports on the work of four scholars who share research that has been undertaken in educational settings with high numbers of Maori students, and discusses the importance of creating culturally-safe schools - places that allow and enable students to be who and what they are. The theoretical frameworks drawn on are based on both a life partnership analogy as well as on a socio-cultural perspective on human development and learning. The Maori worldview presented in this paper is connected to the Treaty of Waitangi, The Educultural Wheel and the Hikairo Rationale. Data were collected from two ethnographic case studies and analysed through these frameworks. Practical suggestions are then made for using restorative practices and creating reciprocal relationships in classrooms within an environment of care. The paper reports on an evidence-based approach to creating culturally-safe schools for Maori students.

Creating Schools of Peace and Nonviolence in a Time of War and Violence

ABSTRACT In this post 9/11 era Western cultures are focusing on values that support war and violence. In this article an ethnographer explores the impact of these values on schools. These values, seen through the lens of restorative justice, include: (a) punishment, (b) adversarial relationships, (c) monopolization of power, (d) problemization and professionalization, (e) prevalence of economic interests, (f) racism and privilege, and (g) imposition of the dominant culture. Based on his research, the author outlines how schools can create an alternative culture of peace and nonviolence grounded in the restorative justice based idea of peacemaking and focusing on: (a) building trust, (b) healing harms to relationships, (c) restoring dignity of persons affected, (d) respecting biculturalism/multiculturalism, (e) being aware of power differences, and (f) creating safety.

Creating Peaceful and Effective Schools through a Culture of Care.

Many schools in New Zealand, the USA, and elsewhere, are searching for ways to respond positively to the educational achievement disparities that exist between majority culture students and students from minority ethnic and cultural communities. Most of the approaches and strategies that have been implemented to date have either failed, or had minimal positive influence. This paper presents the results of over five years of research, conducted collaboratively by the authors, that has been focused on developing the theory and practice of a ‘culture of care’ in schools. Using a cultural lens to interpret the findings, these replicated studies offer the promise of positively influencing the culture of schooling in the USA, New Zealand and beyond. Creating a culture of care requires schools and teachers to be cognisant of how the school and classroom values, beliefs and practices make it safe for all students to engage, to contribute, to belong and to feel confident in their own cultural identities.

From Literacy in Māori to Biliteracy in Māori and English: A Community and School Transition Programme

Teachers and community in a small rural Māori-medium school in New Zealand were concerned that their students who were highly literate in Māori experienced difficulties in reading and writing in English on entry to secondary school (where English was the medium of instruction). Consequently, this school and community introduced a 10-week culturally appropriate home and school English reading and writing programme for their Year 6, 7 and 8 students. Specific tutoring procedures were implemented to assist students with their English reading, while a structured written brainstorm procedure, together with a responsive written feedback procedure, was implemented to assist with their English writing. Data demonstrate that students from all three year groups (Years 6–8) made marked gains in both reading and writing in English, and that these gains were not made at the expense of reading and writing in Māori. After 10 weeks in the programme students were able to read English at age-appropriate levels. The programme engaged the school and community in ways that affirmed cultural values and practices, and has since been incorporated into the schools regular pedagogical practice.