Bicultural Development in Early Childhood Care and Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Views of teachers and teacher educators

Abstract

Recent years in Aotearoa/New Zealand have seen a resurgence, led by Mäori, the indigenous people, in terms of the revitalisation of Mäori language and culture. Mainstream educational settings have struggled to meet this demand beyond merely token and ineffectual ways. However, despite the growth of the Köhanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa (Mäori immersion education) movements, the majority of Mäori children are still attending mainstream early childhood centres and schools, and are largely being taught by teachers who are monolingual in English, and who may also lack knowledge of tikanga Mäori (Mäori culture and values). This paper considers the views of a range of early childhood educators on the role of early childhood care and education settings in terms of delivery of biculturally relevant programmes.