Establishing a certificated puna kōhungahunga (Māori language playgroup)

"Te piko o te māhuri Tera te tipu o te rakau - The bow in the branch is indicative of how the tree will grow."

'Establishing a Certificated Puna Kōhungahunga' is a guide for whānau who want to set up a puna kōhungahunga.

Ministry of Education staff are available to work with whānau to set up a puna kōhungahunga and to get certification. Their focus is on quality early childhood education programmes for children.

If you are interested in setting up a certificated puna kōhungahunga contact your local Ministry of Education office.

Glossary

Whānau means the person (or people) responsible for having a role in the care and education of the child and may include grandparents, aunties and uncles, nieces and nephews, and other relatives.

Parent means the person (or people) responsible for having the role of providing day to day care for the child and may include a biological or adoptive parent, step parent, partner of a parent, legal guardian or member of the child’s whānau.

Educator means the person with the designated role of providing education and care directly to children in his or her care, and attends to the health and safety of those children.

Coordinator means the person who has primary responsibility for overseeing the education and care, comfort, and health and safety of the children, and providing professional leadership and support to educators within the service.

Curriculum in early childhood means the “sum total of experiences, activities and events, whether direct or indirect, which occur within an environment designed to foster children’s learning and development.”