Niho Taniwha can be used as a metaphor for strength, resilience, and protective structure. In this post, I use it as an exploratory framework for thinking about education systems: professional standards, practical tools, support mechanisms, infrastructure, and sector capability all need to work together.
This is not presented as a definitive Māori design framework. It is a working model, shaped by my own education context, for thinking about how different parts of a capability system might connect.
Introducing Niho Taniwha – the teeth of the taniwha
This began as an idea for discussion. I had been thinking about one question:
- What model might help us bring together the things we know and do in education, including infrastructure, tools, professional standards, and support mechanisms?
I am not claiming authority over Māori design or over the meaning of niho taniwha. This is an exploratory education framework that borrows from a visual and symbolic pattern with care.
Strength and resilience
Meet Te Niho Taniwha… or “The Teeth of the Taniwha”. Niho Taniwha can symbolise – among other things – strength and resilience.
This is how I currently see a way forward that allows us to integrate and encompass all that we’ve learned in foundation education since 2006.
Dealing with a wicked problem
I’ve recently called education a “wicked problem”. In short, this means that education is a problem that has no easy solutions and often we have no way of knowing whether we’re even on the right track to a good solution.
What we need are solutions that have some bite, if you excuse the extended metaphor and pun.
What we’ve lacked in our search for solutions is a way to conceptualise the whole…. To pull all the parts together in a way that is coherent.
Frameworks of professional standards might not be enough
Looking to frameworks of professional standards is part of a solution, but as good as this is it doesn’t really encompass the bigger picture which involves various support mechanisms and practical tools for working with learners.
My model above seeks to bring together everything that is required for a professional standards framework but sitting on top of a system of practical tools and support mechanisms including professional learning and development (PLD) and Communities of Practice (CoPs).
We need practical tools and support mechanisms as well
The practical tools and support mechanisms are customisable in the sense that you could swap them out for different tools and resources depending on the context.
But because my context is foundation learning above, the tools across the bottom include the TEC infrastructure for foundation learning: The learning progressions for adult literacy and numeracy, the assessment tool and Pathways Awarua.
Would this model work in a higher education setting? I think so. Here’s a more generic model that could be customised for a university or polytechnic:
Different components could be swapped in across the bottom layer of the tapatoru including other tools, platforms, resources and initiatives.
The top two layers still align with professional standards frameworks including the HEA system or variants like Ako Aronui.
Wider sector capability building
Te Niho Taniwha would make a great framework for wider capability building across the education sector. But even if no one thinks this is a good idea, it has provided me with a lens for analysing what’s happening across educational contexts when it comes to understanding and comparing capability building approaches.
This remains a working model rather than a finished theory. It gives me a way to compare capability-building approaches across education contexts.
Hat tip: I’d like to acknowledge and thank Veranoa Hetet (@whaeavee) for kindly answering my questions on twitter about Māori design including the use of triangles and showing me what Niho Taniwha looks like.
Related capability and cultural intelligence pathways
This framework connects with several related pathways:
- Education Is A Wicked Problem
- Cultural Intelligence in Education
- Te Ao Māori Concepts for Adult Literacy and Numeracy
- Te Ara Whakamārama
- Kaitiakitanga
- Ako
- Consulting
FAQ: Niho Taniwha in education
What is niho taniwha?
Niho taniwha means the teeth of the taniwha. It is a visual pattern associated with strength, resilience, protection, and challenge. In this post, it is used as a metaphor for thinking about resilience and capability in education.
Is this a formal Māori design framework?
No. This post presents an exploratory education framework, not an authoritative Māori design framework. Any use of niho taniwha should be approached with care, humility, and proper cultural guidance.
How does Niho Taniwha connect with education?
The model is used here to think about how professional standards, practical tools, support mechanisms, learning infrastructure, and sector capability can work together rather than sit as disconnected initiatives.
Why does this matter for educational change?
Education is often a wicked problem. Professional standards alone are not enough. Systems also need practical tools, shared infrastructure, communities of practice, and support mechanisms that help people build capability over time.