Rangatahi Māori Can Now Earn Achievement Standards On Financial Education For The First Time

Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission has developed the country’s first te reo Māori Achievement Standard learning and assessment resources for financial education as part of its Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in Schools programme.

Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in Schools was launched four years ago and is the only programme to teach students about money that is fully aligned to both the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa.

The programme is used in 81% of kura and has been offering Unit Standards in various learning areas on financial capability but is now also able to offer Achievement Standard resources.

Te Ara Ahunga Ora Kaihautū / Director, Māori & Learning, Erin Thompson, says the programme is designed to teach rangatahi about money in a way that reflects their local knowledge and world view.

“Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in School resources teach practical money skills that link to their existing knowledge and grow their confidence with money,” she says.

“The new Achievement Standard resources in te reo Māori provide rangatahi the opportunity to gain NCEA credits while they learn about money and how to navigate future financial challenges.”

Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in School’s free resources cover a wide range of subjects, such as social sciences, health, and mathematics for Year 9 through to Year 13. The topics including KiwiSaver, taxation, saving and debt are offered through online resources and interactive activities, providing opportunities for group and individual self-directed learning.

Erin Thompson notes one of the strengths of Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in Schools is that it provides equitable access to financial education for all New Zealand secondary students.

“It has gained strong support from kaiako (teachers) over the past few years who value the resources which teach money in a way that resonates with their students.

“Aligning the Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in School’s resources with the New Zealand Curriculum and ensuring they are adaptable means kaiako can weave in the learning into whatever subject they are teaching,” says Thompson.

“Beginning early has so many advantages, concepts such as the importance of savings and impact of compound interest and advantages of avoiding bad debt – can set students and their families up for success.”

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