Please see below, our school’s Matauranga Māori Kaupapa (Māori Education Plan)

Matauranga Māori Kaupapa 2021 (Maori Education Plan Document 2021)

St Benedict’s School is committed to creating a school culture that recognises and values the unique position of Māori in Aotearoa society. We strive to create deliberate acts of teaching around the understanding of te Tiriti of Waitangi, te Reo Māori and te ao Māori for our tamariki.

As part of our school’s commitment to honouring the indigenous language of our country, te reo Māori receives a particular emphasis at St Benedict’s School. We do this through a variety of ways.

Te reo Māori and tikanga Māori (the culture, traditions and customs of the Māori people) are essential components of our national heritage. While they define Māori in particular, they are integral to the identity of all New Zealanders.

Our school believes that by becoming increasingly familiar with te reo as a language, and tikanga, Māori students strengthen their identities, while students from other cultures  or ethnicities journey towards a shared cultural understanding.

As a means of further embedding tikanga Māori, we have a school-wide kapa haka (Māori performing arts) group. The measure of the success of our kapa haka programme can be seen in the large number of students that enthusiastically participate in these groups.

Through whānau consultation and staff and student feedback, we aim to plan, action and embed a St Benedict’s School Haka, Karakia and Waiata; this is an exciting time for our school.