MILG Extended Report

1.0. Ngā Hononga Ahorangi

Enable strong and collaborative relationships with iwi, hapū, government and educational communities to advocate for life-long learning

• 1.1. He Kaupapa Kōrero

In May, MILG launched an engagement series, ‘He Kaupapa Kōrero’ - a platform to engage with our audiences on specific education kaupapa each month. These kōrero bring together iwi and Māori education practitioners, and relevant Crown agencies to engage on shared priorities, to socialise mahi and insights, and provide opportunities to work together more collaboratively on better outcomes for whānau Māori.

He Kaupapa Kōrero series:

• 12th May - Tertiary Education Strategy with Tertiary Education Commission (TEC)

• 9th June - Attendance with Ministry of Education (MoE)

• 14th July - Whakapapa Decisions with NZ School Boards Association (NZSBA)

• 11th August - MoE Procurement opportunities for iwi (to be confirmed)

• 8th September - Ūangarau: Mapping the education landscape

• 6th October - He Puna Mātauranga

• 1.2. Six-monthly Iwi Chairs Hui

MILG will begin hosting six-monthly hui with iwi chairs who are interested in engaging with MILG mahi or collaborating with MILG on their iwi education priorities. MILG welcomes any iwi that are interested in engaging in these sessions. To RSVP, please contact us.

• 1.3. MILG Political Strategy

MILG have engaged Awhi Group to help support and oversee MILG ‘s political engagement strategy as we advocate for whānau Māori in a diverse political environment. This coming quarter will focus on opposition Ministerial engagement.

• 1.4. Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga (MoE)

MILG continues to deliver on the outcomes of the Mana Ōrite Agreement. This quarter, MILG and the Ministry of Education met to reset and refresh the priorities in the shared work programme, ensuring alignment with Pou Tangata: Te Ora o te Whānau overall priorities and a continued focus on strengthening whānau engagement in education. A standing priority is to further embed and socialise the Mana Ōrite Agreement across all levels of the Ministry and the wider education system.

The April wānanga was an opportunity to reflect on the Mana Ōrite journey, strengthen shared understanding, and recommit to maintaining the intent and practice of the agreement. Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to a relationship that supports whānau, hapū, and iwi aspirations in education and reinforces accountability.

The first half of the wānanga focused on reviewing the strategic intent of the partnership. This included a review of how the Mana Ōrite Agreement has been applied, how engagement is functioning, and what is required to strengthen delivery. The kōrero reinforced the need for clearer, more consistent processes and for measures of success that reflect iwi aspirations, whānau outcomes, and the strength of the relationship, not only system metrics.

The second half of the wānanga focused on the work programme alongside key Ministry business groups, including Data and Insights, Curriculum, NCEA and Assessment, Māori Education, Attendance and Ka Ora Ka Ako (School Lunches), Communications, and Policy and Workforce. Discussions focused on resetting priorities, addressing data-sharing barriers, and ensuring iwi-led approaches are embedded across key areas like attendance, curriculum, assessment reforms, and the Māori Education Action Plan. Communications and the application of Mana Ōrite within the Education Workforce Programme were also identified as areas for further focus.

The refreshed work programme’s overarching priority is the socialisation of the Mana Ōrite Agreement, ensuring it is understood, applied, and embedded in practice. Three key priorities will guide the next phase of delivery: Attendance, focused on iwi-informed decisions to improve engagement and achievement; Whanaketanga Whānau, strengthening the use of data and whānau voice to drive evidence-based, whānau-led decision-making, including access to procurement and system levers; and Data and Insights, ensuring better access to and use of data to support iwi-led solutions, accountability, and improved outcomes for Māori learners.

The wānanga closed with confirmation of these priorities and a shared commitment to strengthen the partnership through clearer accountability, stronger data use, and an enduring focus on ensuring the Mana Ōrite Agreement remains a living, active commitment that delivers for whānau, hapū, and iwi.

• 1.4.1. Shared Work Programme

Overarching Priority: Socialisation of the Mana Ōrite agreement to strengthen understanding and action towards joint commitments and shared work programme.

Priority 1: Attendance: Appropriate and informed support, collaboration and decision-making to increase attendance, engagement, and achievement in education.

Priority 2: Whanaketanga Whānau: Utilise data-driven tools by listening to whānau voice and using data created tools to enable evidenced whānau informed decisions.

• Supporting whānau, hapu, iwi accessing procurement opportunities

• Exploring levers of change

• TEC secondment

Priority 3: Data and Insights: Greater use of data and insights to increase evidence-based engagement and achievement in education.