There is an increasing recognition that computing education and the profession of computing has failed Māori. In order to consider reforming vocational education’s computing programmes so that they address the needs of Māori learners, we must first consider the role of computing as a negative colonising force that continues to the present. This paper uses pūrākau to provide context for a reframing of computing as a decolonising force. The development of the school curricula is considered as an example of the outcome of development in te Tiriti honouring partnerships. We then canvas some potential directions a transformation of vocational IT education might take. This paper is not intended to replace or pre-empt partnerships or by-Māori-for-Māori, but to nudge development towards an approach that honours te Tiriti and improves outcomes for all learners.
Samuel Mann is a New Zealand computer scientist, with interests in computer science education and sustainability. He is a full Professor at Otago Polytechnic. He has published widely on sustainable practice, both in computing and more generally to apply to any discipline. Mann was educated at the University of Otago where he studied botany and geography, before completing a PhD in Information Science.