Whiringa-ā-nuku 2003

There are currently 16 subfields 'housed' in field Māori and more than 580 unit standards registered in field Māori on the National Qualifications Framework. The whare graphically represents field Māori. The four cornerstones are Reo Māori, Tikanga, Nga Mahi a Te Whare Pora and Whakairo.

Some subfields like General Education include a range of different subjects. General Education includes Pangarau, Oranga, Kōrero me ngā Reo, Pūtaiao and Tikanga a-iwi unit standards.

You will also find New Māori Dance, New Māori Music, Taonga Puoro registered under the Māori Performing Arts subfield.

Tourism Māori qualification developments

A hui was held in Te Tairawhiti on 25 and 26 September 2003, of the whakaruruhau Tourism Māori to discuss the three qualifications:

• National Certificate in Tourism Māori (Level 3)
• National Certificate in Tourism Māori (Level 4)
• National Diploma in Tourism Māori (Level 5)

Qualification Development Facilitator, Tania Saggers, has worked with representatives from the following organisations that make up the Whakaruruhau Tourism Māori for this development:

Tania also attended the Auckland Regional Māori Tourism conference. Tourism operators, as well as students interested in tourism careers and potentially undertaking studies on the National Qualifications Framework, attended the conference.

These qualifications should be on the NQF by December 2003 so that providers can offer and deliver these qualifications in 2004.

More field Māori moderators trained

NZQA’s Tertiary Assessment and Moderation team held a two-day moderator training hui Tāite - Rāmere 4-5 Mahuru 2003 at the Brentwood Hotel in Wellington. The training was coordinated by Ewen Holstein (pictured right).

Representatives from Tertiary Assessment and Moderation (TAM), Māori Qualifications Services (MQS), Māori Provider Development Support (MPDS) and Finance welcomed the national moderators and those training to become NZQA contracted external moderators at the pōwhiri.

The trainees’ evaluations of the hui were very positive. Participants obviously appreciated the liaison that took place between the different NZQA business units.

This training hui was for Māori Performing Arts, Ngā Mahi a Te Whare Pora, Whakairo and Tikanga. Moderator contracts and work will be determined by the number of providers assessing and selected for external moderation.

New moderators will join those already contracted by NZQA in these moderation systems and other areas including Māori Business and Management, Māori Geography, Pūtaiao, Te Mātauranga Māori me te Whakangungu and Tikanga-a-iwi.

Further moderator training in field Māori is expected to take place in March 2004. This may include New Māori Music and Dance and Tourism Māori. MQS have facilitated the development of assessment exemplars in these areas to help providers.

NZQA will be seeking applications for moderators later this year. Keep an eye out for the Education Gazette and/or the NZQA website or signal your interest by emailing Tertiary Asssessment and Moderation

Website developments

Good use is being made of the assessment resources developed for New Māori Dance as part of the Māori Performing Arts subfield.

The fluorescent design of the home page - with words being "bombed" - is styling targeted at the intended kaupapa, and its potential audience.

The resource contains assessment schedules to help tutors assess to the unit standards, guides to monitor student progress relating to unit standards, a guide showing basic dance patterns, and four articles written by notable dance exponents.

The material supports and complements the ten new Māori Dance unit standards in levels 1-3. These unit standards are Conventional School Subjects (CSS) and may be used towards Te Waharoa and NCEA.

New Maori Music

Assessment resources for New Māori Music will shortly become available through the Maori Performing Arts section of the website.

The New Māori Music homepage combines tradition depicted through songbirds of the forest graphically blended to represent the link to "the now".

The site will follow a similar pattern to the Whakairo and New Māori Dance assessment resources.

These materials will support and complement the ten New Māori Music unit standards (levels 4-5). These unit standards can be credited towards National Certificate in Māori (level 4) - Te Ngutu Awa.