Chief Executive's Foreword

E ng? mana, e ng ? reo, e ng? iwi maha o ng ? hau e wha, tēnei te mihi atu kia koutou katoa.

As the end of 2004 dawns upon us I reflect on some of the great achievements for Field Māori and NZQA as a whole over the past year.

The year began with the launch of the new qualifications in Tourism M ?ori. We appointed Tania Saggers to manager of Māori Qualifications Services after serving as Acting Manager. The final Top Scholars in April was the end of an era and the beginning of an exciting new approach to acknowledging high achievers. New qualifications registered in Field M ?ori with current qualifications on review. However, the biggest challenge and responsibility for the Qualifications Authority was the continuing implementation of the NCEA.

Every single one of these events marked the historical beginning and the end of a successful period for education in Aotearoa.

The magazine Ao Kawe Kupu features stories that focus on Māori learners, achieving in their own areas of education. These positive stories indicate a definite step forward for education. It s great to see that we have the means in which we can acknowledge and recognise indigenous learning.

I think that NZQA is in a good position for delivering to the aspirations and needs of Māori. We ve got the building blocks in place and I’m really keen to see this field of education grow and be nourished and to see the qualifications delivered more effectively in the New Year.

In the years to come we will be monitoring the impact of NCEA for Māori learners. Already we can see that it has allowed for a broader range of M ?ori skills to be recognised and acknowledge in this new-age learning environment.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.

Na reira noho ora mai i runga i nga ahuatanga katoa o ia iwi.

Nākū noa nā
Karen Van Rooyen
Chief Executive