Tuia Mātauranga – A provocation for thinking differently about local curriculum planning 

The kaiako at Te Waenganui Childcare Centre in the Bay of Islands were looking for ways to deepen children’s learning. In Tuia Mātauranga they found a resource that supported them in doing this.  

Kaiako used the inquiry-based learning questions from the resource to inspire conversations and learning on the four Tuia 250 topics: 

• Voyaging 
• First Encounters 
• New Zealand History 
• Legacy of Learning 

Sensing that many of the questions could help them achieve the goals and learning outcomes in Te Whāriki, kaiako applied them as provocations in local curriculum planning. 

Questions such as, “Why do we make agreements?” took kaiako in directions they wouldn’t have otherwise gone and encouraged them to draw on resources unique to their location. The result was more engaged learning for children and more opportunities to involve the local community. 

For example, the centre’s proximity to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds meant the children were already familiar with Ngātokimatawhaorua, the waka housed there. However, the inquiry question, “What would early voyagers need to think about for the voyage to Aotearoa New Zealand?” led them into investigating how food was caught, kept, and carried by the first Māori navigators. 

Te Waenganui Childcare Centre serves a seaside and boating community. Using Tuia Mātauranga, their local curriculum planning enabled them to work more deeply with the interests and lived experiences of the children and whānau.

What contributed to success here? 

Kaiako who: 

• saw it as their responsibility to enact Te Tiriti within their curriculum for all children 
• looked outwards and approached a new opportunity with openness and curiosity 
• are now more confident in local curriculum design, including adapting resources to suit their location and learners’ age and capability.