Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission’s Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in Schools has launched a taxation module in te reo Māori for Māori Medium Education . It gives rangatahi the opportunity to learn about how tax works, whether they are a future employee, entrepreneur, or contractor.
The resource is designed for Kura in Year 9 and 10 and was developed in partnership with the Inland Revenue, Te Tari Taake (IRD). Learning about tax at school and how New Zealanders all contribute to our community through taxation during our working life is important.
Erin Thompson, Kaihautū at Te Ara Ahunga Ora says: “Tax is one of the many ways we contribute to our whanau and communities which pays for things like education and healthcare.”
“This resource also teaches students about different ways we work and how you pay tax. It gives students a solid foundation for the future,” she says.
Marina Kawe-Peautolu, Kaitakawaenga/Learning Designer for Te whai hua – kia ora helped to develop the module, “having the confidence to understand money, why and how we get taxed and how to plan for yourself and your whanau is a great skill to learn at kura.”
Cy Lochead, Acting National Leader for Community Compliance, Inland Revenue says: “We support the education of rangatahi by sharing how tax works in Aotearoa. We are here to help Iwi, hapū, whānau, hāpori to get things right from the start. It’s important to share the information and tools at the beginning of their journey, so rangatahi have a full kete of knowledge to support their aspirations”.
“The approach fits perfectly with our goal of helping our customers to get things right from the start. It’s important to help lift students’ financial capability and decision making at the very start of their journey in contributing to our communities.”
Whether students are future employees paying income tax or running their own businesses, the modules provide practical details and the big picture of why we pay tax in Aotearoa.
Te Ara Ahunga Ora launched Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in Schools in 2019, and now has 78% of Kura taking part. The programme has been developed from a Māori perspective adapting kaupapa Māori thinking, narratives and frameworks to create resources focused on developing financial capability that contribute to rangatahi and whānau wellbeing.
It is the first government-backed financial education programme in te reo Māori and contextualised for kura reo Māori. Additional resources cover topics ranging from debt and money management to KiwiSaver and insurance, and include learning and assessment materials for NCEA unit standards.