Hauora is for everyone
Kia ora koutou.
It is great to be able to share this issue of Ako with you. Hauora seems to be the catch phrase of the last couple of years. That is not surprising after 2020, and the long tail of that difficult year is still being felt. This government has made hauora a key measure of success, which has led to an explosion of the term through public policy. We also find hauora is ever-present in our minds with sector workload issues, the Pūaotanga staffing review and the Teachers’ and Principals’ Health and Wellbeing Survey.
Through the journey of the last couple of years there has been an increasing narrative that hauora is the responsibility of the individual. While technically true, we shouldn’t lose sight of the responsibility that employers must take if they want to support their staff’s hauora and help them flourish. There is no better example of this than solutions to manage workload. Yes, the individual does have the choice to not take work home at the end of the day and to learn new technological tricks to streamline processes, but this is just tinkering around the edges. The reality is that for those working in education, there is just too much to do, and without more staffing, more feet on the ground, we will continue to see declining haoura. And hauora should be for everyone.
What this issue of Ako does is give a wide overview of what hauora looks like within education, alongside inspiring and encouraging stories. We have two guest experts for our opinion pieces who offer two different hauora models. We ask how the popular hauora model Te Whare Tapa Whā can be used in practice; look at the powerful force of tamariki-led wellbeing; at how early childhood educators use attachment theory to create secure relationships with tamariki, and the barriers they must overcome; look at the ways education leaders authentically support and value staff hauora; and the way art practice can be used to promote everyone’s hauora and bring joy. We hope these stories support you.
Ngā mihi,
Liam Rutherford
National President/Te Manukura
NZEI Te Riu Roa
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