Playcentre Aotearoa are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Craig Rofe as Pou Māori.
This is a key role for the organisation. Craig will join the Senior Leadership Team and lead the Hononga Māori team. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive he will be based in the National Service Centre in Porirua.
On Monday 10 February 2025 the Playcentre Aotearoa Board and Senior Leadership Team attended a mihi whakatau to welcome Craig.
Speaking about the appointment, Playcentre Aotearoa Chief Executive David Moger said, “After a rigorous recruitment campaign, run by an independent recruitment company, Craig clearly demonstrated that he was the stand-out candidate for the role.”
“Craig brings a wealth of knowledge in the arena of Māori education, from his previous roles as Senior Advisor (Māori Research) at Oranga Tamariki and Senior Advisor Māori for Education New Zealand,” said Moger.
Playcentre Aotearoa is excited for Craig to lead the organisation’s bi-cultural journey.
“We are committed to honouring the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and to working with Māori to improve engagement, participation and educational goals, as well as opportunities to increase understanding of te reo me ona tikanga Māori within the organisation,” said Moger.
Dr Rofe said he was keen to listen to people throughout the organisation from centres, regional and national teams to hear what is working, and what isn’t.
“I am committed to enabling the organisation’s Te Tiriti aspirations to carry us forward for our next generations’ moko” Dr Rofe explained.
Māori tamariki account for 12% of tamariki enrolled in Playcentre sessions nationwide.
Last year 9% of Playcentres ran Reo Rua sessions, incorporating te reo me ona tikanga Māori in creative ways through play at centre level.
Playcentre Aotearoa is a charitable trust that provides a community focused early childhood education experience for pre-school tamariki and their whānau. With nearly 400 Playcentres across the motu, Playcentres are a familiar sight around Aotearoa.
