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Tātai Aho Rau : Pushing the boundaries of educational possibilities
CORE Education's Five Stables: the harakeke
CORE Education's Five Stables symbol is based upon woven pieces of harakeke. The harakeke is highly symbolic in Maori lore and useful for a multitude of things. It is an apt symbol of a living family.
CORE Education's Five Stables is formed around the harakeke. This is an apt symbol to represent what CORE does.
The harakeke is not a flax at all, but rather, a lily. When the harakeke leaves are taken from the plant, it is the older ones on the outside that are removed. The three inner layers of the plant represented a family, hence our whakatauki (Maori saying): Ko te pā harakeke, or, "the family". The outer layer represented the grandparents, the next layer in, represents the the parents. The inmost, newest shoots, represent the child, which is protected by those outer layers.
This is very apt! CORE is a whanau (family) working within our community for the greater good of all.
The harekeke plant was used many useful things in life: medicine, disinfectant, soap, fishing, food, ropes, rattles. and woven into a variety of kete (bags) to name a few – means that the harakeke is a natural raw producat that can be made into useful tools to support life. This is just like education, and CORE is able to assist in the finding, developing, and making of that raw material into a useful tool for life.
It is also symbolic of thought leadership and forward thinking for an abundance of flowers on the harakeke is said to be a portend of a good summer.
education
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New Zealand Curriculum Online is full and highly valuable.
Keith JacksonSt Andrews Middle School, Hamilton
