The mainstream curriculum can be a challenge for schools wishing to promote Māori ways of being, according to a qualitative study of five low advantage schools with high Māori student populations. Semi-structured interviews with school principals identified the following themes based on creating a curriculum around Te Ao Māori (Māori worldview): mainstream curriculum not fit for purpose for Māori learners; blending of mātauranga Māori and western knowledge; mātauranga Māori as learning and educational experiences; mātauranga ā-iwi (local Māori knowledge) and achievement fit for tamariki (children). Some schools supported a He Awa Whiria (braided rivers) approach to education, the interweaving of both western practices and mātauranga Māori.
