Revisiting Te Whare Tapa whā for adult literacy and numeracy teaching

Te Whare Tapawha

Another concept from Te Ao Maori that you may also remember from your NZCALNE (Voc) studies is Te Whare tapawha, or the strong house. Dr Mason Durie’s Te whare tapawha model reminds us that we need to consider our learner as a whole person taking into account the many dimensions that make up a learner.

The Whare tapawha model compares hauora or wellbeing to the four walls of a whare. This applies to education as much as to life in general. Each wall of the whare represents a different side or dimension. All four dimensions are necessary for strength and symmetry. If one side is missing or weak, the roof falls in.

Watch the video

Listen to Aroha below as she describes the learner’s journey in terms of the Whare Tapawha framework.

• Consider how your approach to adult literacy and numeracy addresses each of the four dimensions of the Whare Tapawha