Far North COL is gaining momentum
Te Hiku Kahui Ako/Far North Community of Learning (COL) gained added momentum when more than 60 people gathered at Taipa to formulate a vision for the future.
The wa¯nanga brought together representatives from local primary and secondary schools, kura kaupapa Ma¯ori, early childhood education, ko¯hanga reo, iwi and a range of health and social services.
Kahui Ako lead principal Jack Saxon (Kaitaia College) said the overarching kaupapa focused on the need to get all the the key community voices around the table and working on co-constructing “a shared vision for the tamariki in our community”.
The general
consensus among those involved was that a sense of empowerment had been gained from working collaboratively, along with a greater appreciation of how the sectors could partner with each other.
Mr Saxton said the next steps for the Community of Learning would be to take the kaupapa back to the taonga at the centre, “our tamariki,” to get a feel for what they would like to see.
“Once this is locked down, we can work across the entire community to ensure our mahi aligns with the vision,” he said.
While the Community of Learning continued to gain traction, the death of a member, Te Rarawa stalwart Wayne Te Tai, had been a major loss, he said.
“Wayne was a member of the kaitiaki group that plays a key governance role in the Community of Learning, and had been instrumental in ensuring that iwi aspirations for our tamariki were always the starting point for korero,” he said.