Ara celebrates increased Māori ākonga numbers  

_{JRMatua Stan Tawa presents a workshop on pepeha at the Te Waha Kōkiri noho} 

Ara Institute of Canterbury is celebrating an increase in Māori ākonga (students) enrolled across its Canterbury campuses. 

Year to date figures show 13.2% growth in Māori learners which translates to an increase of 223 students choosing to engage in study compared to same time last year. Ara city campuses are up 11% and South Canterbury Māori enrolments have surged up 63%. 

The figures follow strong course completion rates for 2023, with increases across all levels but notably reaching 91.6 % for Māori ākonga in Level 7-9 programmes. 

Ara kaumatua Harry Westrupp said supporting ākonga through their journey at Ara with wrap around pastoral and academic care was key to the gains and he praised the mahi of the dedicated staff “across Ara’s front line.”  

“As they say, ‘it takes a village.’ Our enrolment and completion figures are testament to their work that is relentlessly focussed on Māori achievement and whānau transformation,” he said. 

An example was the latest Te Waha Kōkiri Noho Marae, a student support led noho (overnight stay) held recently at the whare on Ara’s campus. Offered four times during the academic year, noho are key to the range of measures created for Māori studying at the institute. 

The variety of activities this time focussed on whanaungatanga (connection), pahi tahi (learning about areas if significance to local iwi), and ākonga hauora (wellbeing) from a Te Ao Māori (the Māori world view) perspective.  

“Our noho provide a safe space for our Māori ākonga to be Māori and to connect with their taha Māori,” Māori Navigator Emma Robertson said. 

“This time we helped ākonga learn their whakapapa and build the confidence to put their pepeha together.  Our guest speaker Danette Abraham Tiatia had a kōrero around ‘how Māori do you have to be to be Māori?’ and we also organised two offsite excursions focussed on sharing stories and health and wellbeing,” Robertson said. 

Student Pastoral Support Manager & Māori Achievement Lead Shelley Mouatt said the series of activities were created after feedback from Māori ākonga who “feel a sense of disconnection and not being ‘Māori enough’ in their identity.” 

“In this noho, we sought to provide an opportunity to reconnect them with their heritage and each other, strengthen self-worth and foster a sense of belonging and cultural pride.” 

Behind the numbers 

Harry Westrupp said he was incredibly proud of Ara’s kaimahi, noting efforts started at the ground up with Youth and Community engagement teams supporting events such as Pūhoro focussing on STEMM, and school holiday programmes such as Te Ara Pūtahi. 

“Then once here, our ākonga connect with academic and pastoral supports such as Reheko our Māori whānau orientation and this year’s new He Waahi Ākoranga study jam addressing both academic and wellbeing needs in the lead up to exams and our Tuakana-Teina mentoring initiative.” 

The most significant increases in EFTS (equivalent full-time students) at Ara are in programmes from Level 1 to 4. Examples are Beauty Therapy (up 85%), Study and Career Prep courses (up 49%) construction skills (up 40%) and Level 3 Te Reo Māori (up 50 %). Electrical Pre-Trade has seen a hefty increase of 30 Māori students equating to an over 600% percent jump. 

Growth is also being seen in Trades Academy offerings with significant increases in the Youth Guarantee programmes. 

Strong numbers in pathway and study and career preparation courses could bode well for further growth in certificate and degree level programmes spanning Level 5 to 9 as ākonga continued their journey. 

“The whakatauki ‘He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata’, what is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people it is people, guides our mahi,” Westrupp said. 

“When we put our people at the centre of all we do, whatever their goals are with us, the results will continue to come.”