Matua mo e Tama Aoga Vagahau Niue (Pre-School) contributes to the conservation of the Niue language, culture, and tradition through its philosophy which is based on three principles: 

Principle 1 – Agāga /Spirit of care

It refers to the spirit of the land in the individual, that is, the culture, values, and beliefs that are pivotal to an individual’s well-being.  The spiritual element is represented by the nucleus or eye in the centre of matalili.  The spirit is nurtured continuously by caring for self, caring for others, and caring for the environment (land)through experiences and interactions with people, environments/contexts, and things. 

Principle 2 – Laufa Pulu-fa ke fakamau/ Inclusive Relationship 

It is represented by the ridge and the strand that weaves around it. It refers to the building of bonds with family and others that nurture the physical, mental, and spiritual growth of the individual. The land is central to understanding relationships between close and extended relatives and others. How the land is used gives us insight into how intricate interpersonal relationships are nurtured and maintained. 

Principle 3 – Kaniu/ Empowerment 

It is represented by the eyelets of the matalili. The empowerment element refers to the continuous presence of the spirit in all three aspects of caring, i.e., caring for self, caring for others, and caring for the environment, throughout one’s life empowers the spiritual, mental, and physical aspects of an individual.

The ‘Matalili’ (Figure 1), a circular woven mat is used as a metaphor to present a graphic outline to illustrate and understand how the three principles of Niue philosophy provide a framework grounded in the ethics of care, that is, caring for self, caring for others, caring for the environment, in facilitating teaching and learning.

Our core purpose is to facilitate children from all cultures and support their holistic development through “hands-on” experiences and interactions with the learning environment, family, and community. Hence, at Matua mo e Tama Aoga Vagahau Niue Pre-School the development of children is aligned to Te Whariki, the New Zealand ECE curriculum and is supported through our inclusive practical prepared environment which supports learning through instructions in three languages: Niue, Māori, and English.