For the past 30 years, Dr Kathie Irwin has dedicated herself to learning and teaching. It’s no wonder then that she’s been made the New Years Honours List.
The Ōtaki grandmother has a long list of academic achievements.
In 1991, she founded He Pārekereke: Institute for Research and Development in Māori Education at Victoria University. In addition to working at Victoria, Dr Irwin has taught at Massey University, Christchurch College of Education, Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.
Irwin explained to Te Karere, that education, is her family profession.
“I'm a fourth-generation Māori woman educator. My grandmother was an educator in the Presbyterian mission service, my mother was a teacher, my father was a teacher, my siblings are all teacher educators in our whānau.”
She says that over the years, Māori were ‘locked-out’ of the core of the education machine, creating disparities for Māori.
“At the very heart of the machinery I work in we are not there. We've been locked out over here and what's happening is the machine is now opening up,” Irwin said.
However, she says the laws have changed over the years, and slowly but surely, change has occurred.
“We're a part of a huge network of Māori educators who will not accept that change is not possible,” Irwin said.
When she’s not fighting the powers that be, or lecturing, Dr Irwin’s working on her books and nurturing her grandchild.
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