Senior Education Advisor Māori at NZ Ministry of Education, Waikato

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Senior Education Advisor Māori  

• Permanent, full-time

The key function of this role is to support kura and schools to enable Māori students to achieve educational success as Māori.

Do you have a passion for improving educational achievement for all students/ākonga, particularly Māori learners? Are you currently working in the education sector and need a new challenge?

Help shape the future of Education

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga

We work to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes

At Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education, we work to provide services and support nationally, regionally and locally to the education sector, and in some cases, directly to ākonga and whānau.  We help shape the policies, settings and performance of the education system for early learning, schooling and tertiary. We do this by building relationships and understanding the needs of those who receive our services.

We are making significant changes to how we deliver our mahi by

• Taking practical action to give effect to te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

• Giving priority to regional and local voice. 
• Delivering greater responsiveness, accessibility and integrated services and support.
• Improving feedback loops and information flows. 

Our organisation is made up of talented and committed people across Aotearoa from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. While we work in different groups and on different things, we all strive every day to make the biggest difference we can for every child, young person and adult student in our education system. 

About our group and team

Te Mahau | Te Tai Whenua (Central) is a frontline group. Our frontline groups collectively provide leadership and integrated services to the sector and others.  This includes services such as learning support and education advice, and regulation functions for schools and early learning services.

As a frontline group we develop and harness existing relationships with communities at the regional and local level, including deep relationships with iwi and hapū.

We also collectively strengthen relationships with our diverse communities who support Māori, Pacific peoples, disabled ākonga and/or ākonga with learning support needs, and ākonga from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Mō tēnei tūranga | About this role

As a Senior Education Advisor Māori you will work directly with our tumuaki, senior school leaders, Kāhui Ako | Communities of Learning and Boards of Trustees on strengthening educational performance in schools and kura, with a particular focus on our Māori-medium kura.

You will be working as part of the Ministry of Education's regional team, using evidence and data on student achievement, designing and implementing projects with schools to strengthen and sustain educational performance.

Do you want to make a positive difference to student achievement, and kura and schools' capability?

We want to hear from you if you have a passion for driving and lifting achievement for our children and young people, in particular our Māori learners.

Please note there is further information in the attached Job Description.

Mōhou ake | About you

To be successful you will need:

• Teaching experience working in Māori Medium kura.

• Proficiency in use of Te Reo Māori
• Have knowledge and relationships with Māori communities, hapū and Māori medium education providers
• Knowledge of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, Te Aho Matua and/or Māori learning pedagogies
• Specialist knowledge and experience in:
   Facilitating hui, powhiri, tikanga Māori.
  Networking with iwi, hapū, runanga, whānau.

• Ability to work in the Auraki education system and Māori education from Kōhanga reo, Kura kaupapa, āIwi, Whare kura and Whare wānanga
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to work with student achievement data to determine needs and priorities.
• Experience in developing and implementing projects.
• An ability to develop strong working relationships both within and outside the Ministry.
• An understanding of te reo Māori ona tikanga.
• Skills and experience in making a direct contribution to student achievement in both English and Māori-medium educational settings.
• An understanding of factors which influence Māori learner achievement and participation.
• An understanding of Ka Hikitia and the Action Plan for Pacific Education and how these documents impact on this work.
• The ability to understand and apply the principles of Te Tirirti o Waitangi and tangatawhenuatanga.
• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to work effectively across a diverse range of settings.
• A current full driver's licence is essential.

Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi? | Are you ready to make a difference?

We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds who will enrich our understanding of the education system.

As a government agency, the Ministry is committed to keeping to the Treaty of Waitangi's guiding principles in our work for and with Māori students, their whānau, hapū and iwi and we are committed to building racial equity and excellence in the education sector.

There is more information in the position description attached, please take a look and if this opportunity sounds like you, please apply now using the ‘apply online' button.

In your cover letter we'd like to know:

• about you, your values, your whakapapa
• your interest and motivations for this role
• the abilities, strengths, personal attributes and diverse perspectives you will bring to the role and this organisation.

For further information, please contact Alan Munro at Alan.Munro@education.govt.nz

Applications close: Midnight 9 August 2022.