Ngā Rau Whakatupu

Me tiaki te mana o te tamaiti me tōna whānau
Protect the mana of the child and their family

Te Rito’s whakatauāki acknowledges that student information is taonga and must be protected. The name Te Rito was gifted by Te Aupōuri. It represents the young flax at the heart of the harakeke, where it is secure and protected as it grows and flourishes – reflecting our protection of information as taonga.

We thank Te Aupouri and Te Rau Whakatupu Māori and recognise their knowledge and contribution for the benefit of our ākonga and learners.

Te Rito is designed, delivered and governed in partnership with educators. 

Te Rau Whakatupu Māori and Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki - collectively Ngā Rau Whakatupu - are the sector voice for Te Rito. 

Together we are stewards of Te Rito, ensuring its delivery stays true to its guiding principle of protecting the mana of the child and their whānau. 

We, and the kura, schools and organisations we represent, help shape Te Rito for New Zealand's ākonga and learners.

We're committed to Te Rito

"I am passionately engaged in this mahi because Te Rito is about whānau having more input and insight into their tamariki, mokopuna and their ability to navigate their educational pathway while protecting the data   that is their taonga. Me tīaki te mana o te tamaiti me tona whānau."

Myles Ferris, Chair - Ngā Rau Whakatupu
 

"Te Rito is a key driver for systemic change in protecting the safe and timely delivery of the data that defines who we are as learners, improving the allocation of targeted resourcing while respecting the mana of tamariki and whānau. I am extremely proud to have been a part of the wider journey of the Te Rito team and the impact we can have on schooling improvement and data integrity."

Michael Malins - Principal, Blockhouse Bay Intermediate / Deputy Chair - Ngā Rau Whakatupu
 

"I am passionately involved in designing and delivering Te Rito because it will protect the mana of the learner and their whānau and the ownership of their data. The strength of Te Rito is that it has been designed by the sector for the sector. As the secure set of data grows over time, it will enable seamless transitions throughout a learner's educational journey and support greater collaboration between everyone who supports their learning."

Graeme Barber, former Chair - Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki
 

"I have led in two small rural schools and am currently Principal of Nawton School (U6), Dual Medium School.I am Chairperson for The Rauhii Project Community Social development project with a music focus, Lead Principal RTLB (Resource Teachers of Learning & Behaviour) Cluster 16, and an executive member of Te Akatea Māori Principals' Assn.  “I take pride in my involvement with Te Rito and foresee it transforming the educational path for whaanau, safeguarding their information, avoiding duplication when transitioning and enabling schools to gain deeper insights.”

Rubina Charman - Principal, Nawton School / former member of Te Rau Whakatupu Māori
 

"A few years back I pivoted my career into education to align to my personal purpose ‘to empower people through inspired learning’. I’m involved in developing Te Rito because I can see its potential to empower learners, educators and families through the sharing of rich, strength-based learner information."

Nathan Martin - E-learning Designer and Developer, Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education NZ / former member of Te Rau Whakatupu Māori
 

"I represent NZPPA (NZ Pasifika Principals Association). To me, Te Rito represents hope.  The hope that data held in Te Rito about our ākonga will be used by the people they connect with to know them, support them and enhance their learning journeys.  The hope that Te Rito can be used to store strength-based data relating to the cultural capital our learners bring in. I look forward to contributing to the ongoing development of Te Rito to help realise its potential to enhance learning for all ākonga."

Sephora Mauigoa - Principal, Glendene School / former member of Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki
 

 I believe it's important for all ages and stages of schooling to be represented in the development and implementation of this critical initiative. All transitions during a student’s educational pathway are important. The transitions from primary to intermediate and middle schools and on through secondary schooling are critical periods for students and their whānau. Te Rito will support and strengthen transitions, helping to support the student’s progress and achievement by providing important information to the right people at the right time."

Justine McDonald - Principal, Waimea Intermediate School / New Zealand Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools representative / Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki
 

"We know that 'relationship' is at the heart of great teaching and learning. I am excited that Te Rito promises to support relational teaching by allowing the unique information about a young person to travel from school to school with them. This is going to provide educators with an authentic foundation to get to know their learners better, right from day one."

Kate Nicholson - Principal, Trinity Catholic College / Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki
 

"Te Rito is an opportunity for me to champion the right of mokopuna and whānau to exercise sovereignty over the information and data created by others about them. Mauri ora!"

Cath Rau - Principal, Te Kopu High School / Te Rau Whakatupu Māori

"I am proud to be a part of Te Rito and believe it will revolutionise the educational journey for students. By preserving their unique stories and academic strengths, Te Rito will empower schools to better understand and nurture their students’ potential, and for some students, spare their whānau the burden of reliving stories and trauma each time they transition to their next school. Kia mōhio ko tāhi tatou - being clever together."

Hayley Read - Principal, Whangārei Intermediate School / Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki
 

"I have a strong interest in curating rich, accurate information about students in our kura to enable staff to better support them.  Burnside High School is one of Aotearoa’s largest schools with more than 70 feeder schools. Very often we get little or no information about students when they enrol, meaning we have to generate profiles from scratch. I see Te Rito as a vehicle that will streamline this process, for the benefit of students and their whānau."

Alan Robertson - Deputy Principal, Burnside High School / former member of Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki
 

"RASLA has a specific focus on supporting rural and small school leaders across the motu. The aims of delivering Te Rito has potential to deliver very positive outcomes for remote and small schools who have few resources. RASLA is supportive of the co-construction model that underpins the Te Rito project in delivering for these schools. I have been a principal for nearly 30 years, all in small to large rural schools, and taught all levels of primary schooling. I am pleased to be working with talented people on this important project."

Alistair Schaw - Principal, Aokautere School / Rural & Area School Leaders Association (RASLA) representative / Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki
 

"I represent NZEI Te Riu Roa - New Zealand’s largest education union, representing principals, teachers and support staff in primary, area and secondary schools, early childhood centres, special education, and school advisory services nationwide. It is a democratic, treaty-based organisation, whose members work in every community in New Zealand advocating for quality public education.

I am personally committed to Te Rito and the wider public education system, because if we get public education right, everything else will follow. But if we get it wrong, not much else will matter."

Martyn Weatherill - Principal, Laingholm Primary School / New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa / Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki
 

"I have a passion for learning and empowering young people, particularly those with limited access to digital affordances. I want to play my part as education reinvents itself for the 21st century in our country. Te Rito will provide vital learning support for rangatahi, families and schools."

Dave Winter - Manaiakalani Education Trust / Te Rau Whakatupu Auraki

We are committed to working with Māori and iwi in a way that reflects our Treaty partnership and honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

At the heart of our engagement is our recognition that Māori wish to exercise sovereignty over the data held on ākonga by educators and education agencies.

We seek advice and input from the Mātauranga Iwi Leaders’ Group, and work with the Ministry's Te Mahau regional teams, recognising each iwi has its own aspirations and interests.