In 2019 Tokona te Raki published a research report, He Awa Ara Rau – A Journey of many Paths, in collaboration with Waikato-Tainui, BERL and The Southern Institute.
The report tracked 70,000+ rangatahi Māori on their journey through education and into employment, with a view to better understanding what propels them forward, the barriers to success they encounter, and the potential levers for change.
One of the most significant barriers identified was the negative impacts of streaming – a pedagogy, that despite a wealth of global research data highlighting the harms it can do, remains a common practice in Aotearoa schools. At every level of our schooling system, including ‘innovative learning environments’, the norm is for students to be placed in classes or groups based on ‘perceived’ ability.
Following on from the release of He Awa Ara Rau, Tokona te Raki began to look more deeply at the harmful impacts of streaming and at alternative approaches to teaching and in 2020 released Ending Streaming in Aotearoa.
Momentum has been building at each step of the journey with multiple champions lending their support and providing valuable contributions. The Ministry of Education report He Whakaaro – Does Streaming Work, which provides a review of a wide range of research locally and globally, was instrumental in informing our progress.
In early 2021, representatives from the Ministry of Education and the Mātauranga Iwi Leaders Group came to Tokona te Raki with a tono – to bring together the education leaders across the sector and design the action plan to drive the desired outcome – ending streaming in Aotearoa.
Our design team included representation from: Mātauranga Iwi Leaders Group, rangatahi, high school principals, MoE, NZEI, CORE Education, universities, PPTA, PLD providers, NZQA, and ERO. This action plan is the collective wisdom of this team and is designed to complement the many initiatives the MoE have in motion to ensure equity in education.
Understanding the problem or issue through lived experience.
Offering proven alternative approaches that provide desired outcomes.
The things that need to happen to make the change.
Whānau, students and community – the users of our system
Practice or pedagogy – our teaching practices
System – the structure within which our schools sit
For a long time, our education system has been creating barriers that rob many students of their dreams. Research tells us that streaming is one of those barriers, and it is time to remove it.
Noun /ˈstriːmɪŋ/
The term we use in Aotearoa New Zealand to cover harmful fixed-ability grouping, banding, and the inflexible use of prerequisites in education – all practices whereby students are sorted into different classes or placed into in-class ability-based groups for sustained periods of time based on teacher perceptions of ability and assessment data.
