Ira Takaro: Rethinking Health, Sport & Education in Aotearoa / NZ

In this landmark educational publication researcher Harko Brown explains the tenets of Ira Takaro Theory. Brown contends that since the mid-1800's there has been a lack of attention to ira takaro (or the schema) of Tamariki Maori in our health, sports and educational institutes. He says this has often negatively impacted Tamariki Maori via scornful social discourses, for example, by educators critical of Maori children's in-school behaviours, and in their overall academic and health statistics. He describes the natural expressions of ira takaro in Polynesian children as pronounced and packed with powerful potential which at present is much maligned and misunderstood in general by hauora providers, particularly by those in the fields of mental health and child psychology, by sports and recreational providers and in teaching professions.