Mātauranga Māori constitutes concepts and principles that are richly detailed, complex, and fundamental to Māoridom. It is important to remember that the practice of these are wider and more varied than their use within the proposed NCEA Achievement Standards and supporting documentation.

We also recognise that the cultures, languages, and identities of the Pacific Islands are diverse, varied, and unique. Therefore the Pacific concepts, contexts, and principles that have been incorporated within NCEA Achievement Standards may have wide-ranging understandings and applications across and within the diversity of Pacific communities. It is not our intention to define what these concepts mean but rather offer some ways that they could be understood and applied within different subjects that kaiako and students alike can explore.

The intent of the Standard

Ākonga will be assessed on their understanding of strategies that enhance hauora. They will suggest plans of action that fit within an underlying concept, in response to a given scenario. For example, a strategy identified via the lens of health promotion may describe individual and/or collective plans of action to enhance hauora; a strategy identified via a socio-ecological lens might describe a plan of action involving community or societal policy. Students could identify and describe existing strategies or original strategies they have formulated. 

Hauora is a Māori philosophy of holistic wellbeing grounded in bodies of mātauranga unique to Aotearoa New Zealand. This goes beyond the physical aspects of wellbeing to include aspects such as the spiritual, the collective, and the environmental. 

The Significant Learning that ākonga will engage with in relation to this Achievement Standard includes: 

• inquire into Māori knowledges and practices related to hauora, such as rongoā and maramataka 
• inquire into Pacific values, knowledges, and practices, such as vā, in relation to individual, whānau, and community health contexts 
• understand how personal, interpersonal, and societal factors impact hauora and inform decision-making  
• investigate diverse strategies to help manage change situations that impact hauora  
• use critical thinking in relation to social constructs, power imbalances, biases, and assumptions that impact hauora. 

Learning about hauora may be enriched by exploring models such as Te Whare Tapa Whā, Te Wheke, Fonua, or Fonofale. However, ākonga are not assessed on their knowledge or application of a model of health in this Achievement Standard.

Making reliable judgements

Ākonga will identify strategies that enhance hauora, then provide examples of how the strategies enhance hauora with reference to a relevant underlying concept. 

At higher levels of achievement, ākonga will discuss how the strategies they have suggested work together to enhance hauora and will be able to draw conclusions about the anticipated effectiveness of these strategies to enhance hauora. Ākonga will draw on examples from the given scenario throughout their discussion, and any conclusions will draw from relevant information from the scenario.

Collecting evidence

External Assessment Specifications will be published by NZQA and will specify details about how this Achievement Standard will be assessed.

Possible contexts

Scenarios will be related to any of the Key Areas of Learning: Food and Nutrition, Mental Health, and Relationships and Sexuality. 

Engagement with the following Ministry of Education guides is recommended for all Health Studies kaiako for teaching and learning: 

• Mental Health Education 
• Relationships and Sexuality Education.

Standard Exclusions

This Standard has one or more exclusions, or Standards that assess the same or similar learning. These Standards are excluded against one another to prevent assessing the same learning twice. You can only use credits gained from one of these standards towards your NCEA qualification.

Find out more about the NCEA Level 1 Exclusions List.