Education – A pathway for rangatahi

On Monday, May 6, 2024, my first day as principal at Ōrewa College, as I prepared for my arrival, I asked the school leadership team to organise year-level assemblies immediately after my pōwhiri (official welcome) as I wanted to meet all the students of Ōrewa College from the start.

My speeches began with a mihi (acknowledgement) to the students, sharing my whakapapa (ancestral lineage) as Ngāti Whātua and my strong ties to the Hibiscus Coast. I centred my words around connection; my connection to this school, to the pride I have for the college, and to the community that supported me during my childhood. 

After one of the assemblies, several senior students, both Māori and non-Māori approached me. They stood at arm’s length and then, in a spontaneous moment, performed a haka in response to my speech. I saw it as a sign of respect and new beginnings. What I didn’t anticipate was the impact my kōrero (speech) would have, as a senior staff member commented: “Wiri, I don’t know what just happened, but I’ve never seen those students react to anyone like that before. It must have been something you said.”

The rest of the day was filled with similar moments. Students would approach me, greeting me with “Kia ora, Mr Warriner.” I would reply, “Kia ora, son,” and test a few students with, “Ko wai tō ingoa? Kei te pēhea koe?” To my satisfaction, they responded correctly: “Ko Ben tōku ingoa, kei te pai sir.”

I soon realised that Ōrewa College had progressed immensely with te ao Māori over the past 25 years since I was a student here. This is a credit to the outstanding work of the previous leadership and the dedicated staff at our kura (school). Te ao Māori is now practised and integrated into various aspects of school life.

This is why we are now exploring expanding the provision of Māori-medium education. Over the past six months, Ōrewa College has consulted with students, staff, and whānau (families). and there is a strong demand from whānau for opportunities to engage in Māori-medium education, reflecting not only the growing number of Māori students at Ōrewa College, but also the desire of both Māori and non-Māori to experience the rich oratory and linguistic skills inherent in te ao Māori; practices that foster confidence and leadership among our rangatahi (youth).

We are excited to announce our plans to establish a Māori-immersion programme at Year 7 and Year 8, launching next year. As staffing is critical to the success of such a programme, we were fortunate to have Haimona Koziarski, Head of Māori, join our school last year. Although many of our students and whānau may not yet be fluent in te reo Māori, we also know that many whānau are at a similar stage in their language journey, which provides us with a unique opportunity to cater to and uplift both our rangatahi and their families simultaneously.

This is an exciting time for our community. Together, we are creating a pathway for our rangatahi to be confident in speaking, walking, and leading in ways that will shape the future of Aotearoa New Zealand.