Mātauranga Māori or Māori knowledge differs from modern science and focuses on traditions, values and philosophies from te ao Māori. Photo: RNZ/Paul Bushnell
Non-Māori science teachers are questioning how they will teach mātauranga Māori in a proposed new curriculum.
It follows a leaked draft of the new science curriculum, which caused a stir because it does not mention physics, chemistry or biology.
Its inclusion of mātauranga Māori is being welcomed, but there are concerns about who is going to teach it.
Mātauranga Māori or Māori knowledge differs from modern science and focuses on traditions, values and philosophies from te ao Māori.
Some of the more popular concepts that derive from mātauranga Māori include Matariki and the Maramataka known as the moon cycle in astronomy.
NZ association of scientists co-president Dr Lucy Stewart welcomed the introduction.
"We feel it's really important that students in Aotearoa New Zealand are introduced to knowledge concepts from te ao Māori, we think it's really appropriate and mātauranga Māori goes alongside science and should be introduced alongside the science curriculum and intertwined with it."
One of the curriculum authors, Cathy Buntting, said the document was intended to encourage change.
AUT Māori philosophy professor Georgina Tuari Stewart welcomed it also, and said mātauranga Māori provided the opportunity to help decolonise the curriculum.
"I think it provides us with an opportunity for real learning and education as a society, in this science curriculum it's offering something special that's world leading and transformational."
But not everyone was thrilled about the move - some science teachers were worried they could misinterpret mātauranga Māori because they were not from the culture.
Secondary chemistry educators co-chair Murray Thompson said he was concerned he would not be able to do the topic justice.
"I don't know enough mātauranga Māori to teach it and not only that, it's different for me living in Dunedin than it is for Ian living in Auckland.
"So I don't know where I start and finish with that knowledge and I want to learn more, I want to be taught more but I don't think I'm the right teacher because I don't know enough."
The introduction of mātauranga Māori comes across as insincere, he said.
"I spent five years training to be a chemist, are they going to give me the equivalent of five years of university to teach me mātauranga Māori so I can teach that as well as I teach chemistry?
"I'm sorry but I think that's tokenistic. I think we've got this really really important body of knowledge and we're going to give it to people who know nothing about it."
Professor Georgina Tuari Stewart sympathised with Thompson and understood his worry.
"If there is to be mātauranga Māori taught by non-Māori who are not experts, I mean ideally you would have some kind of association, maybe there are online resources that can be made.
"Teachers definitely would need to be supported cause that's too big of a change to expect teachers to make on their own."
But Dr Stewart said there should not be any excuses if the right resources were in place.
"Even science teachers they may have gone to university and studied physics or chemistry but they'll be teaching a lot of things that aren't things that they studied, so I think they should feel confident that if they're given the appropriate support and leadership from te ao Māori, that they can teach it."
Dr Stewart wanted consultation with both science teachers and Māori to figure out how to best teach mātauranga Māori in schools.
