Ara celebrates increased Māori ākonga numbers
Drive for whānau transformation sees results
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.
