Te Apa Marae Kura

Tangata ako i te kāinga, tū ana i runga i te marae! Tau ana!

The purpose of the School of Iwi Development is to support ‘the building of capability and capacity of whānau on marae throughout Aotearoa’.

Our role is to bring whānau and hapū members together to learn of the histories and kinship ties to their land, hapū and iwi. The school also seeks to identify and provide a stairway to higher learning for those who are looking to further their educational aspirations.

A key component of the delivery of these programmes is the marae site where the course takes place. Engagement in these courses is situated on marae chosen by the group involved. This allows students to connect with their hapū and iwi, and also provides a relevant and safe environment in which the programme is delivered.

A considerable percentage of our students comprise of second-chance learners and so direct support of whānau, iwi and marae members is paramount for the successful completion of participants. The progressions are designed to address cultural, environmental and educational pathways which begin at level 0, through to degree-level study. Students gain confidence in the foundation programmes in preparation for the challenge of higher level learning.