ABSTRACT
As the preceding Whakatauki illustrates, New zealand is a multi-cultural country with strong acknowledgment of Māori, who are the indigenous people of New zealand. The NzQA highlights that New zealand is the only country in the world to recognize indigenous knowledge (specifically Māori) as part of its qualification system (NzQA Web site, 2010b). As such, the NzQA has a vital role in this regard, which includes working with Māori stakeholders to develop and maintain national standards and qualifications based on Māori knowledge and skills. Consequently, engagement with Māori is vital for this component of NzQA operations.
