HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION | A FAIR GO FOR A L L ? There have been attempts to change Ministry South Auckland school principal, Anne Milne, uses the organisational processes to reflect key Ka Hikitia analogy of a colouring book to describe the normalised components in areas such as business planning and nature of dominant culture world views and practices in report writing. Yet, there is concern that Ka Hikitia will education systems. She explains that in a colouring book, evolve into a compliance tick list rather than a broad where the “blank” spaces on the page are considered commitment to improve education for and with Mäori empty to be coloured in, “we don’t often consider the learners. fact that it is already coloured in – with white. White is The challenge in an organisation like the Ministry is to engage in processes that change attitudes, thinking, and behaviours rather than forcing compliance, while adhering to timelines that meet urgent priorities.130 In many cases, intervention programmes aimed at the ‘invisible’ colour, because it’s just there as the whole background.”132 Milne describes mainstream schools as “white spaces” that reflect the white spaces present in society where a set of rules and practices dictate “whose knowledge is important, what success looks like, what achievement matters, how the space is organised and who has the power.” addressing educational achievement are implemented for To address structurally-biased systems, some researchers all students. Such programmes are founded in notions of have suggested that school environments should develop egalitarianism and are expected to work equally well for culturally-responsive practices and policies. Such practices all students regardless of ethnic or cultural background. include the use of cultural frameworks that acknowledge When such race-neutral policies and programmes are and legitimise Mäori and Pacific students, how they engage implemented, it is difficult to assess the impact on Mäori and make sense of the world as different from Päkehä or Pacific student achievement, as separate data is often students.133 In the interviews, people have advocated for not collected.131 Such approaches overlook the reality practices and policies that are both culturally appropriate that some ethnic groups are starting from a marginalised and culturally responsive. That is, validating Mäori cultural position created through structural discrimination. In our values, settings, tikanga, but also building relationships interviews we have heard this described as a “one size fits with Mäori whänau and community, changing the all” approach, where the one size to fit all is based on the curriculum to incorporate students’ heritage and cultural cultural values of the dominant group. frameworks, asking students for their perspective (rather than assuming) and being informed by whänau. Significant shifts away from this model are being pursued through the redesign of the professional development provision currently being implemented by the Ministry of Education. All procured professional development now has an explicit focus on meeting the needs of Mäori, Pasifika and learners with special education needs. This will be enacted through a strong and explicit focus on “identity, language and culture.” in a colouring book, where the “blank” spaces on the page are considered empty to be coloured in, “we don’t often consider the fact that it is already coloured in – with white. White is the “invisible” colour, because it’s just there as the whole background.132 A “one size fits all” approach in education, particularly Research has found that schools which have been effective in increasing student and whänau engagement had an environment where te ao Mäori (a Mäori perspective) was recognised, respected and valued.134 The Te Kotahitanga programme is one initiative that develops culturally-responsive practices and policies in schools. This programme is discussed in the casestudy following this systemic analysis. within mainstream schools, may unintentionally The Education Review Office has found that schools that disadvantage Mäori and Pacific students by not have developed initiatives specific to Mäori and Pacific acknowledging the Päkehä point of reference at the needs and cultural ways of being are actually more foundation of the educational system. In a recent paper, 29