Weaving Te Whäriki: Aotearoa New Zealand’s Early Childhood Curriculum Document in Theory and Practice

Abstract

In 1993 the draft version of Te Wh!riki was published as curriculum guidelines.It was a ground-breaking document based on socio-cultural principles and was the result of a bicultural collaboration between Margaret Carr and Helen May (then both at Waikato University) and Tamati and Tilly Reedy (from the K!hanga Reo movement) and of extensive consultation with the sector.In 1996, the curriculum itself was published, not without some changes from the Ministry of Education writers.These changes were principally intended to take it into the world of outcomes and accountability, and more detailed sections linking it to The New Zealand Curriculum Framework were added.This process, and the process of development, have been extensively charted by Margaret Carr and Helen May in a series of articles and chapters in New Zealand and international journals and books.Despite extensive professional development between 1993 and 1996, concerns were soon being expressed about the difficulty of implementing the curriculum.Joy Cullen, in an article in Delta in 1996, suggested that the variable (and at that time often low) levels of training in early childhood education made it difficult for teachers to understand the theoretical basis of Te Wh!riki.Professional development staff reported that teachers were often using it to validate existing practices.Weaving Te Wh!riki was launched at the 8 th Early Childhood Convention in 2003, an auspicious date ten years on from the original publication.The title, which contains the phrase 'Aotearoa New Zealand's early childhood curriculum document in theory and practice' acknowledges these early concerns and celebrates the implementation of the curriculum as a statutory requirement in all licensed and chartered centres.Chapters trace the beginnings of Te Wh!riki (Sarah Te One), investigate its bicultural origins (Tilly Reedy) and development (Jenny Ritchie), and present research on its use with children with disabilities (Jude MacArthur, Kerry Purdue and Keith Ballard).Further chapters explore research into how teachers use Te Wh!riki (Joce Nuttall), and on the use of assessment tools within its framework (Margaret Carr, Ann Hatherly, Wendy Lee & Karen Ramsey).There is a chapter comparing Te Wh!riki with The New Zealand Curriculum Framework (Carol Mutch).Two chapters assess it from an 'outsider' perspective: these chapters are from Denmark (Stig Brostrm) and