Treat Kids Like They're Gold Kōrero Mātauranga Adapted in accordance with Section 69 of the Copyright Act 1994 by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind, for the sole use of persons who have a print disability. Produced 2019 by Accessible Formats Service, Blind Foundation, Auckland, New Zealand This edition is a transcription of the following print edition: Published by Kōrero Mātauranga 2019 Transcriber's Note If reading this volume on a portable braille device, note that this e-text is unproofed by touch. Notes inserted by the transcriber are prefixed by the abbreviation tn. Page 2 Treat Our Kids Like Gold Children and young people talk about their education and learning A summary of engagement with groups of children and young people towards a statement of National Education and Learning Priorities—June 2019 Introduction We asked more than 380 ākonga (learners) about their experiences with education and what was important to them for learning. These are the comments of the tamariki/children and rangatahi/young people that we talked with between October and December 2018. Their responses, as summarised in this report and in the accompanying full report, will help shape New Zealand's first ever Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP). The views of our tamariki and rangatahi are prioritised in this report. We think that's only fair. After all, they are the most important participants in our education system. And their education will determine the future of our nation. We thank all those who participated and we hope that this summary and the engagement report does justice to what you told us. We spoke face to face with ākonga across Aotearoa New Zealand, sometimes with their parents, teachers, Māori wardens and support people in attendance. We talked to young children, people who don't have good internet access or computers, people from Māori, Pacific and rural backgrounds, people who identify as LGBTQIA+, people with intersex or variations in sex characteristics, young people in the justice system, and young people in alternative education settings and specialist schools. During the conversations we asked: • What do you like about your place of learning? Page 2 • Who helps you learn and what works for you? • What makes you feel included and valued at your place of learning? • What do you want to learn? What does success look like to you? Key messages It was clear that many ākonga are not enjoying their mainstream school experiences, often do not feel included, and see very plainly the inequities in the system. Parents and whānau, even when they feel able, find it difficult to engage and be part of the learning experiences of their ākonga. Need to treat our kids like they're gold, give them the opportunity to grow. Māori youth in Justice system In alternative education settings, many ākonga developed better relationships with teachers, enjoyed the learning and had their learning preferences met. Parents and whānau were encouraged to be part of that learning. Individualised programmes and inclusive practice recognised their diversity and were important for success. This meant that their teaching was more effective and different from their experience of the mainstream. But ākonga feel like they were being sent to the "cabbage class" by being sent to alternative education settings. We found that the ākonga we talked with have experiences in common, and many of these same concerns have been found in talking to tamariki and rangatahi in the other Kōrero Mātauranga consultations. Their messages to us were: 1 Look after our wellbeing and include us and our whānau Finding a sense of wellbeing and belonging is important for all ages and across all groups and was the most supported theme overall. • What contributed to wellbeing and belonging was broad. From being accepted as who you are, having your learning needs met, and having friends, to not being subject to negative behaviours like racism or sexism. • Belonging meant having your identity, language and culture respected. Page 3 • The wellbeing of children and young people in their place of learning is influenced by the relationships they have with their teachers and peers. • Acceptance of families and whānau is an important part of belonging. Respect for diversity—acceptance and inclusion Ākonga feel respected when they are accepted for who they are and feel included. This means learning in a way that works for them and being able to ask questions without being made fun of. I like that we can come up to the whare and hang out to get support. Mixed ages rural I just loved doing Māori. Māori youth in justice system Have role models. Bring in queer people who have left school but have succeeded. ... Bring in queer parents. Youth LGBTQIA+ Ākonga identified that many of their parents are not a valued part of the learning environment and were acutely aware of this. Some parents don't feel comfortable in the school environment—Mum goes to school stuff, and Dad attends sports. Youth Advisory Group The pace of learning affects some people's sense of belonging if it is too fast they get left behind, and the teacher doesn't seem to care. They stop asking questions and disengage. What made me feel included is if I ask a question and they, teacher, would give me an answer, would be the one I'm looking for, and nobody would laugh because I'd seem like an idiot. 17 year old in youth mentoring Page 4 Negative behaviours Alarming levels of racism, discrimination and marginalisation in schools were reported. Those requiring learning support were more likely to feel marginalised. Outright racist comments from other ākonga or observation of teacher's better treatment of certain ethnic groups are some examples of the overt racism experienced. This negatively impacts on a sense of belonging. No one recognises the racist stuff. No one tells them they're wrong. Primary alternative education aged 5-10 Sexism affects ākonga as "girl and boy" choices are limiting and not helpful for them, particularly for some gender fluid/intersex people. This means their unique selves are never acknowledged at school, and this highlights how the choices of all ākonga are constrained by rigid stereotypes. Gendered subjects force students to do what their peers deem acceptable. Youthline Asian Bullying affects ākonga. There were a few instances described of physical bullying, and many more of people being "mean". What things do you not like? Someone is not being very nice to you, punch and kick us, throw rocks or toys, make us feel bad. 4 year olds Suicide was an unfortunate fact in the lives of some ākonga. A caring response by the school and teachers to a suicide is a factor in feeling treated as worthwhile individuals into the future. (tn: See footnote 1 below) I wonder how many people asked for help and ended up offing themselves. Rural young people in training Footnote 1: For support if you feel suicidal or know someone that does, start here http://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/get-help/a-z/resource/50/suicide-coping-with-suicidal-thoughts Page 5 Uniforms affect the sense of belonging to a place for many ākonga and their ability to express their unique selves. Adherence to strict rules meant that people are excluded because they can't afford the full uniform or for small infringements. Uniform is a priority for the school. They push aside gay affiliations and bullying, but they care so much about uniform. Secondary Pacific and LGBTQIA+ Overall wellbeing and belonging meant the individual was accepted for who they are and their unique way of learning was catered for. This was however, in the context of everyone getting a fair go, too. Fair treatment. Favouritism in the classroom. I've seen some teachers treat some students with high respect and others treated like dirt. Activity centre 2 We like diverse learning environments The learning environment should be tailored to the way ākonga like to learn. Some want quiet or computer learning while other ākonga want more physical activity. A mainstream teacher that understands us as a person that knows how you learn. People learn differently but teachers all teach the same. Secondary alternative education Ākonga note that they enjoy learning when teachers vary the learning space regularly. Such as by alternating between inside and outside of the classroom, and having access to specialist classes. We had Gateway at our school. It was weirdly stigmatized. People didn't want to do it, but you came away from it with way more skills. Youth LGBTQIA+ Ākonga identified the learning inequality that streaming creates and sustains. There is a strong sense that being in alternative or lower status classes labels ākonga. Although many identified a much better learning environment and learning Page 6 opportunities in the alternative places of learning. They described alternative education as providing them with more freedom and individual support, with less rigidity than in mainstream schools. This is strongly related to how much attention each ākonga gets from their teachers and to the size of classes. 3 We want broad learning choices What is learned and whether the preferred subject choices are available is important. Ākonga told us that the learning choices available need to include options that are relevant to the next steps in life. The ability to choose subjects, to choose a practical or theoretical course, for it to be culturally appropriate, and to have that choice included as part of mainstream school, is important for these ākonga. There needs to be more subjects. My brother wants to do computer hardware but there's none of those subjects. Rural young person in training We get more choice [at alternative education]—we can do all the normal, mainstream subjects. We can choose on how we feel. Secondary alternative education rural, at risk Ākonga in Māori medium settings generally commented that they enjoyed that experience, and enjoyed being with people like them. 3 Teacher Quality is important Teachers able to build genuine relationships and knowledge about the identity, language and culture of ākonga positively affect the sense of belonging. Teachers make a big difference to how ākonga see their learning and their place at school. Ākonga expressed a need for teachers that care about them and are kind, that they adapt learning to suit the individual, and share their time fairly with those that needed help. My teacher pushes us but in a good way. We work harder in her class because it's like she's invested in us. Secondary Pacific and LGBTQIA+ Page 7 Ākonga value teachers who are open, understanding and caring, and take time to develop relationships with them to provide teaching that is relevant and applicable. Ākonga feel well supported in their learning when their teachers have these qualities and share their passion for teaching. Most of us have the same teacher that we like (referring to the Alt Ed teacher). He's crack-up, has our back, straight up, puts us in our place if we need to. Secondary alternative education Teachers who aren't responsive to learning needs, who bully, discriminate or show prejudice have a negative effect on the learning capabilities and wellbeing of ākonga. Some ākonga commented that they feel belittled or disrespected. Many said that their identity, culture and language aren't recognised. Our teacher doesn't let us ask questions. They don't help. They make people answer questions, and you don't get a choice. You feel stink. Mixed ages rural All ākonga want good teachers, and want to do well. Teachers who make negative, often personal comments or draw attention to people who didn't know the right answer are not helpful. 4 Make transitions easier (in places of learning and into the workforce) Transitions can be hard and cause anxiety and worry. Thinking about the future can be hard too, when there is little knowledge about what comes next, whether it is a new school, or the first time in work. I wasn't ready for school because I was used to ECE, knew a lot of people and friends. Primary Year 3 Transitioning from a kura to English language school is an issue for some with not enough support in the second language. Ākonga shared concerns about losing friends Page 8 and finding new ones, learning how to get around, and what to do next year. Reflecting on these changes, some ākonga felt they did not learn the life skills they needed. School exclusion and expulsion is a significant event for all young people. Often ākonga who had experienced this would have liked more effort to help them stay at school. I got kicked out of school—2 weeks later, I wished I was back there, I missed my bros. Māori and Pacific youth in justice system As ākonga approached leaving compulsory schooling they want help from counsellors and options for the future. The help needs to focus on more than academic pathways without stigma attached to decisions, with more apprenticeships available, for example. A shortage of help or opportunity available to make this transition successful was noted by many ākonga. I wanted to do Construction but they said you're really brainy so you shouldn't do it. Secondary Pacific and LGBTQIA+ 5 Meet our basic needs Catering for physical needs of ākonga is not always adequate. The two issues that these conversations highlighted, are having enough to eat, and having appropriate toilets. We heard that these are basic needs that some ākonga deal with on a daily basis: • Going to school hungry or finding the price of food at the school canteen too high. • Being aware that the cost of education was high and impacted their families—school uniform, stationary, bus money, school fees. It's (lack of food) is a distraction from learning. If you don't have the basics then you're not going to school to learn. Māori and Pacific youth in Justice system Page 9 I like cooking class because the teachers give me free food. Intermediate rural and digitally excluded • For some, concern about the access to toilets, and how adequate they were, can affect their whole school experience. Need to have awareness of how mental health is impacting on learning. Need more options for learning. Need people to feel safe in school, and that's not always happening, with bullying and not having bathrooms that people can use. Youth LGBTQIA+ While ākonga have many of the same experiences and concerns as the participants in the other Kōrero Mātauranga conversations, the differences highlighted in the NELP engagement show the importance of including ākonga with experiences outside the mainstream education. These ākonga had often only found a positive experience in alternative education settings or indeed only found it in prison. What is the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP)? The National Education and Learning Priorities will set out the government's educational priorities for all our state schools, kura, private schools, early learning services, me nga kōhanga reo, and Communities of Learning/Kāhui Ako. Schools, kura, and early learning services, will use these priorities, alongside their own, to help every child and young person to progress and achieve to their potential. The Education Act 1989 enables the Minister of Education to issue, after consultation, a statement of National Education and Learning Priorities. The NELP will help our education services to know what to focus on when educating our learners. The NELP will also assist parents, caregivers and whānau to know more about what their local education services see as important in the education of their children and young people. What happens next? As part of the Education Conversation/Kōrero Mātauranga, the Ministry of Education will be consulting with the education sector and the public on a draft NELP later in 2019. This consultation will last up to 8 weeks. The draft NELP will reflect the voices in this report, as well as those of educators, parents, school leaders, and other children and young people gathered from the: • 16,000 participants in the Korero Mātauranga online survey; • various education reviews underway; and • input from our wānanga and fono on the future of education for Māori and Pacific peoples. You will be able to have your say via an online survey and a series of meetings with children and young people, parents and the sector, which will take place during the consultation period. We expect to publish the final NELP before the end of 2019. Further information You can find out more about the NELP at this link here, and about our other work as part of the Kōrero Mātauranga/Education Conversation at this link here. End of Treat Our Kids Like Gold