Te Tohu Paetahi Ngā Poutoko Whakarara Oranga (The Title) We begin with providing an explanation to the name of the programme Te Tohu PaetahiNgā Poutoko Whakarara Oranga Te Tohu
Paetahi
Te Tohu - A valued qualification Acknowledging the quality effort given in achieving learning to a level that will: • Enable a systematic introduction to a coherent body of knowledge. • Have underlying principles, concepts, usages and applications. • Have analytic and problem-solving techniques. • Enable ākonga to develop rigorous attitudes and skills of making sense of and acknowledging new information, ways and evidence from a range of sources. • Allow ākonga to continually reflect, review, extend and apply knowledge and skills acquired. Paetahi– Bachelor degree. Pae, this degree, is the selected learning horizon that each ākonga has chosen to strive for over a three (3) year, full-time programme. The thinking within the whakataukī, ‘ko ngā pae tawhiti, whāia kia tata’, (Distant horizons vigorously pursued and so brought into reach)
Poutoko
Whakarara
Oranga
is encapsulated here. At the beginning of the programme, the achievement of the degree will appear a long way off (a distant horizon). It is therefore, a journey embarked on by every ākonga and as each module is undertaken, the learning attained, so does the pae tawhiti (distant horizons) of the degree, become closer and more achievable. Poutoko– The positioning and representation of bodies of knowledge. Pou in this context symbolises and are considered kai-pupuri (holders) and kai-tiaki (valued stewards) of valued knowledge and learning. The same poutoko approach will be incorporated into every module of this degree. The courage to consciously apply Māori and non-Māori bodies of knowledge, with their unique understandings, will be actively pursued, in the context of social work practice. Whakarara– Whakarara has been selected, as it carries the notion of parallels, contextualised to the bicultural intent and underpinnings of this programme. When linked to Ngata’ ‘parallel columns’ concept and the bicultural focus of the degree, it can act as a clear reflective signpost of intent and purpose. Participants are consistently reminded of an ongoing obligation to be space-creators to enable this to occur. Oranga– Oranga is wellbeing. As the above components are activated and actively participate in the programme’s activities at all levels, wellbeing can be felt, reflected upon and re/employed in a whole range of new and ongoing contexts. The knowledge, thinking and applications acquired become valued and so hoa-haere in practice. The second part of the above whakataukī is then triggered, ‘ko ngā pae tata, whakamaua kia tīna’. The notion of internalisation and having the courage to construct and apply learning with its experiences into meeting positively, new challenges is implicit in this section of the whakatauki and is at the core of its use here. .