Jill Bevan-Brown

Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Awa

Ngāti Wehiwehi

1952 -

Jill Bevan-Brown was born in Wellington and raised in Porirua and Titahi Bay. She was educated at Holy Family School in Porirua, Saint Pius X in Titahi Bay, St Brides in Masterton and Mana College, Porirua. She went to Wellington Teachers’ College from 1969-71, graduating with a Wellington Teacher’s College Diploma (with Commendation) in 1971, a Trained Teacher’s Certificate in 1972, and a Diploma in Teaching in 1973. Jill continued her studies at Victoria University and graduated with a BA in Education in 1975. She taught at Titahi Bay for a number of years, travelled overseas and lived in England for three years. On her return to New Zealand she worked as a Guidance and Learning teacher for Intermediate Schools in Titahi Bay and Porirua. After the birth of her four children Jill taught at the Health Camp in Otaki for two years. In 1989 she attended a one-year course at the Palmerston North College of Education for teaching children with special teaching needs and gained a Diploma of Teaching Children with Special Teaching Needs. In 1990 she obtained a Higher Diploma in Teaching and in 1994 graduated with M.Ed (1st Class Honours). She was awarded a Certificate in Bilingual Teaching in 1996 and completed a PhD in 2002.

In 1990 Jill began working in the Advanced Studies for Teachers Unit as a lecturer in Special Ed and Māori Studies. She is currently working as a Senior Lecturer at Massey University College of Education and administers and teaches the Massey B.Ed (Special Ed).

In 1990 Learning Media ran a competition for anyone interested in writing stories; Jill’s story “My Nanny” was the winning entry in one section. The story was published in the English language school journal of spring 1991 and was broadcast on radio on the “Ears” programme. It was also published in the Learning Media’s anthology entitled Teasing the Lion in 1994. Jill has participated in two writing courses taught by Patricia Grace: one was held at Whitirea Polytech in 1991, and the other was organised by Te Ha at Tapu Te Ranga Marae in 1996. In 1999 she was a finalist in Huia’s Māori Writers Short Story Awards. Jill has been involved in the writing, revising or editing of 17 different published distance education courses relating to Special Education, Bilingual Education, Māori Education and the Treaty of Waitangi.



Biographical sources

  • Correspondence and phone conversation with Jill Bevan-Brown, Aug. 1992, 15 Aug. 1997, 30 Sept. and 30 Nov. 2004, and 7 January 2005.

    Children's literature

  • "My Nanny." School Journal 2.1 (1991): 38-43.
  • The young narrator recalls memories of her Nanny while attending her Nanny’s tangi. This story was produced for the Ears radio programme.
  • Te Tuna Nui o Te Ao. Whanganui a Tara [Wellington], N.Z.: Te Pou Taki Kōrero, Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga, 1992.
  • A fold-out book written in Māori for children with a Māori-English word list at the conclusion. This book by Bevan-Brown was a model for her class of six gifted Māori language children on how to write Māori books for Kohanga Reo. The children wrote books in Māori for Kohanga which were later photocopied and sent to Learning Media with Bevan-Brown’s model story.

    • Fiction

  • "Selling Potiki." Huia Short Stories 3. Wellington, N.Z.: Huia, 1999. 1-8.

  • Non-fiction

  • "Intellectual Disability: A Māori Perspective." Masterate Research Report. Massey U, 1989.
  • "Intellectual Disability: a Māori Perspective." Disability, Family, Whanau and Society. Ed. K. Ballard. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Dunmore, 1994. 205-230.
  • Chapter 11
  • "Special Abilities: A Māori Perspective." Apex: N.Z.A.G.C. 2.7 (1994): 5-10.
  • "Special Abilities: A Māori Perspective." Proceedings of the First National Conference on Teaching Gifted Students at Secondary Level, Palmerston North, N.Z. Auckland, N.Z.: Reach, 1995.
  • "Special Abilities: A Māori Perspective. Implications for Catering for Gifted Children from Minority Cultures." Proceedings from the 11th World Conference on Gifted and Talented Children, Hong Kong. 30 July-4 Aug. 1995.
  • "Special Abilities: A Māori Perspective." Gifted and Talented. New Zealand Perspectives. Ed. D. McAlpine & R. Moltzen. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Dunmore, 1996. 91-110. Rpt. in Gifted Education International 14 (1999): 92-102.
  • Special Abilities: A Māori Perspective. He Parekereke Occasional Publications Series. Wellington, N.Z.: Victoria UP, IRDME, 1997.
  • M.Ed thesis.
  • "By Māori, for Māori and about Māori – is that enough?" Proceedings of Te Oru Rangahau Māori Research and Development Conference, 7-9 July 1998. Palmerston North, N.Z.: School of Māori Studies, Massey U, 1998. 231-246.
  • "Praising Māori Children." Te Ukaipo 1 (1999): 80-85.
  • "A Cultural Audit for Teachers: Looking out for Māori Learners with Special Needs." Set Special: Special Education 8 (1999). Rpt. in Set: Research Information for Teachers, 1 (2000): 16-20.
  • SE2000: Kura Kaupapa Māori Report. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Massey U, Institute for Professional Development and Educational Research, 1999.
  • Co-authored with W. Bevan-Brown. Phase One Report to the Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Resourcing Special Education in Early Childhood. Database and Best Practice. Final Report. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Massey University, IPDER, 1999.
  • Co-authors Jill Bevan-Brown and J. Cullen.
  • Special Education 2000: Monitoring and Evaluation of the Policy. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Massey U, Institute for Professional Development and Educational Research, 1999.
  • Phase One Final report to the Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand. (Chapters 11,12 &13).
  • "Running the Gauntlet: A Gifted Māori Learners’ Journey through Secondary School." Now is the Future. The Gifted Student in Today’s Secondary Schools. George Parkyn Centre Charitable Trust for Gifted Education, Auckland, N.Z., October 3-5, 2000.
  • "Supporting Social Relationships: Partnerships and Friendships." Learners With Special Needs In Aotearoa New Zealand. 2nd ed. Ed. D. Fraser, R. Moltzen and K. Ryba. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Dunmore, 2000.
  • Co-authors Jill Bevan-Brown and L. Meyer.
  • "School Inclusion and Multicultural Issues in Special Education." Multicultural Education. Issues and Perspectives. 4th ed. Ed. J. Banks and C. McGee Banks. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. 327-32. Rpt. in Multicultural Education. Issues and Perspectives. 5th ed. Ed. J. A. Banks and C. A. McGee-Banks. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2004.
  • Co-authors Jill Bevan-Brown, L. Meyer, B. Harry and M. Sapon-Shevin.
  • What is Happening for Gifted Students in Kura Kaupapa Māori? /Kei te Ahatia I nga Kura Kaupapa Māori mo nga Tamariki Tino Pukenga? 2000. www.tki.org.nz/r/pedagogy No further details.
  • "Evaluating Special Educational Service for Learners from Ethnically Diverse Groups: Getting it Right." Journal of the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps 26 (2001): 138-147. Rpt. in Major Themes in Education. Special Educational Needs and Inclusive Education, Systems and Contexts. Vol. 1. Ed. D. Mitchell. New York/London: Routledge-Falmer, 2004. 160-178.
  • "Why are Learners with Special Needs From Ethnically Diverse Groups Missing Out On Effective, Culturally Appropriate Services And What Can Be Done About It?" Proceedings From Including The Excluded, 24 – 28 July, Fifth International Special Education Congress (ISEC 2000). United Kingdom: U of Manchester, 2001.
  • "A Call for Firelighters." New Zealand Principal 16.2 (2001): 14-16.
  • Special Education 2000: Monitoring and Evaluation of the Policy. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Massey U, Institute for Professional Development and Educational Research, 2001.
  • Phase Two Final Report to the Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand (Chapter 9).
  • "A call for fire lighters." New Zealand Principal 16.2 (Jan 2001): 14-16.
  • Special Education 2000. Monitoring and Evaluation of the Policy. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Massey U, Institute for Professional Development and Educational Research, 2002.
  • Final Report to the Ministry of Education, Wellington, New Zealand. (Chapters 5 & 15).
  • "Providing for the Culturally Gifted: Considerations for Māori Children." Proceedings from a Celebration Downunder - 15th World Conference of the Gifted and Talented Children’s Association. Adelaide, 1-5 August, 2003.
  • "Providing for Māori Learners with Special Needs." Informing our Practice. Ed. D. Fraser and R. Openshaw. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Kanuka Grove, 2003.
  • The Cultural SelfRreview. Providing Culturally Effective, Inclusive Education for Māori Learners. Wellington, N.Z.: NZCER, 2003.
  • The cultural self-review : providing culturally effective, inclusive, education for Māori learners. Wellington, N.Z.: New Zealand Council for Educational Research, 2003.
  • "Gifted and Talented Māori Learners." Gifted and Talented New Zealand Perspectives. 2nd ed. Ed. D. McAlpine and R. Moltzen. Palmerston North, N.Z.: Kanuka Grove, 2004. 171-197.
  • "Stepping out of the Classroom: Involving Teachers in the Evaluation of National Special Education Policy." British Journal of Special Education 1.3 (2004): 150-165.
  • Co-authors Jill Bevan-Brown, R. Bourke and A. Kearney.
  • "What Nag Change? Proceedings of the TEFANS Conference. July 5-7, 2004, Auckland, N.Z.
  • The Extent, Nature and Effectiveness of Planned Approaches in New Zealand Schools for Providing for Gifted and Talented Student. Palmerston North, N.Z.: IPDER, Massey U, 2004.
  • Report to the Ministry of Education co-authors Jill Bevan-Brown, T. Riley, B. Bicknell, J. Carroll-Lind and A. Kearney.
  • Māori Perspectives of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Wellington, N.Z.: Ministry of Education, 2004.
  • Report to the Ministry of Education.
  • Gifted and Talented Education in New Zealand Schools. Wellington, N.Z.: Ministry of Education, 2004.
  • Co-authored with T. Riley, B. Bicknell, J. Carroll-Lind & A. Kearney.
  • "A snap-shot of organisational provisions for Māori children and youth with special needs." Kairaranga 6.1 (2005): 3-10.
  • "Teaching Māori children with special education needs : getting rid of the too hard basket." Kairaranga 7 (2006): 14-23
  • "Praising Māori children : getting it right." Set : research information for teachers, 2007; n.1:p.36-41; p.6-11
  • Co author Veronica Butterworth.
  • "'We know what you need ...' and other misconceptions about Māori learners." Kairaranga 8.2 (2007): 25-31
  • Co-authors T. (Ted) Glynn.
  • "The challenge of incorporating ethnic minority values in majority-funded research : a story of special education research in Māori total immersion schools in Aotearoa." He pukenga kōrero : a journal of Māori studies 8.2 (2007): 1-4.
  • Nurturing gifted and talented children : a parent-teacher partnership. Wellington, N.Z.: NZ Learning Media, 2008.
  • Co-authors Shirley Taylor.
  • "Making assumptions vs. building relationships : lessons from a participatory action research project to identify effective practices for learners with autism spectrum disorder." Kairaranga 9 (2008): 22-31.
  • Māori learners with special needs : culturally appropriate, effective provisions. Saarbrücken, Germany: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing, 2010.
  • "Messages from parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)." Kairaranga 11. 2 (2010): 16-22
  • "Indigenous conceptions of giftedness." Giftedness from an Indigenous perspective. Ed. Wilma Vialle. Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented, 2011.
  • "Personalising learning : a passing fad or a cornerstone of education?" New Zealand journal of educational studies 46.2 (2011): 75-88.
  • "He Waka Tino Whakarawea : a model for evaluating the cultural appropriateness and effectiveness of programmes and services for Māori learners both with and without special needs." Kairaranga 12.2 (2011): 27-35.
  • "Championing inclusion : an interview with Professor Luanna Meyer." Kairaranga 13.2 (2012): 3-10.
  • "Providing well for all Māori learners: mission impossible or mission achievable?" Inclusive education : perspectives on professional practice. Centre of Excellence for Research in Inclusive Education. Auckland, N.Z.: Dunmore Pub., c2013.
  • Co-author Peti Kenrick.
  • Working with Māori children with special education needs : he mahi whakahirahira. Tai.Wellington, N.Z.: NZCER Press, 2015.

  • Reviews

  • Still Being Punished, by Rachel Selby. Te Komako. Social Work Review 11.4 (1999). No further details.

  • Theses

  • "Culturally Appropriate, Effective Provision for Māori Learners with Special Needs: He Waka Tino Whakarawea." PhD Thesis. Massey U, 2002.