Licensing criteria for kōhanga reo
Kōhanga reo run a total immersion te reo Māori whānau (family) programme for mokopuna (young children) from birth to six years of age to be raised within its whānau Māori, where the language of communication will be Māori.
The operation and decision making of each kōhanga reo are the responsibility of the whole whānau within the guidelines set down by Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Board. The trust and the kōhanga reo whānau administer the kaupapa to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the mokopuna and the whānau and to ensure the survival of te reo Māori.
Kōhanga reo are currently chartered to Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust and licensed by the Ministry of Education under the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008(external link)
The Ministry does not provide guidance for the kōhanga reo licensing criteria. Guidance is available upon request directly from Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust.
Contact – Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust(external link)
A copy of the criteria can be downloaded from the right-hand column.
The licensing criteria were last updated in September 2022.
Curriculum criteria documentation required
Documentation that provides evidence of the service's compliance with criteria C1-C13. Documentation may take a variety of forms to suit the service's operation (such as portfolios, wall displays, policies and procedures) but must include:
1. A process for providing positive guidance to encourage social competence in children (C10);
2. A process for providing formal and informal opportunities for parents to:
- communicate with adults providing education and care about their child, and share specific evidence of the child's learning; and
- be involved in decision-making concerning their child's learning (C12); and
3. A record of information and guidance sought from agencies and/or services (C13).