ERO recognises that English-medium schools and kura need clear, relevant guidance to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning in rumaki (immersion) and reo rua (bilingual) settings.
This page explains ERO’s evaluation approach in rumaki and reo rua settings, and the specialist te reo Māori team that undertakes this mahi.
"I want to learn to teach te reo Māori so I can teach the future generations and keep the reo alive”
Learner voice, captured in Nihinihi Whenua 2020
Specialist evaluation, insights and clarity to drive improvement: introducing Te Pou Reo
In our research Nihinihi Whenua – Valuing te reo Māori: Student and whānau aspirations (2020), students and their whānau felt an increased sense of belonging in their school communities through the everyday use and teaching of te reo Māori.
ERO found when schools prioritised te reo Māori me ona tikanga (Māori language and culture), the number of fluent speakers of te reo Māori increased. The teachers were more competent. Whānau, iwi, and hapū also engaged with the school more frequently and effectively. A key factor in achieving equitable outcomes for Māori is having equity in language, culture and identity.
Te Pou Reo evaluation
ERO’s Te Pou Reo evaluators, called Toki ao Mārama are specialist, te reo Māori evaluators. Toki ao Mārama work with English-medium schools and kura that have rumaki and reo rua settings, providing specialist evaluation for improvement for this group of learners.
Te Pou Reo evaluation dovetails into a school’s Te Ara Huarau evaluation.
Raupapa Ako Framework
The Raupapa Ako Framework (RAF) is the evaluation tool that helps schools and ERO to determine where a school is at in its improvement journey. It is specific to rumaki and reo rua settings in English-medium schools and helps to identify next steps for improvement.
The RAF connects to and aligns with the School Improvement Framework (SIF), providing a complementary but targeted improvement framework focused on learner outcomes.
Schools can use the RAF as part of their own internal evaluation cycle. Toki ao Mārama will use the RAF as an evaluation tool with a school or kura during Te Pou Reo Evaluation.
Tools and research to support te reo Māori provision in English-medium education: