Established in 2009, Te Whānau o Awatope is the bilingual unit at Apanui Primay School in Whakatāne. It's purpose was to recognise the community's deep connection to te ao Māori and normalise the delivery of education in the unique context of our community. It sought to develop capacity in delivering te reo Māori and tikanga.

Since 2009, the bilingual unit has encouraged tamariki, and by extension whānau, to develop a sense of pride in themselves, strength in connections to tīpuna, and nurtured their skills in reo (Māori language) and tikanga (protocols). In turn, the tamariki of Te Whānau o Awatope have provided the school with important cultural capacity and capability, and in doing so have uplifted the mana of the community.

On the afternoon of Monday 22 November 2023, the children of Te Whānau o Awatope were sent home with a pānui (letter) that notified parents and caregivers that a decision had been made to close Te Whānau a Awatope as a seperate class-based unit within the school at the end of the 2023 academic year. The last date for Te Whānau a Awatope is proposed to be the 15 December 2023. This decision was made with zero communications to the school whānau about the concerns related to Te Whānau o Awatope. The decision to devolve the bilingual unit has been made with no consultation with whānau, iwi and community.

As parents of tamariki in the bilingual unit, who have established strong whānaungātanga and who, to this point thrived culturally and personally in Te Whānau O Awatope, we demand an immediate STOP to plans to devolve the unit and all further decision making be delayed until robust community consultation and due diligence has been completed, and the full impacts of this unilateral decision on our children and the wider community can be considered.

Ngā mihi mo tō manaakitanga.

Vanessa Marjoribanks      Lanae Cable      Hannah Simmonds