Skip Content

An appreciation of  Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaupapa is one of the things that kaimahi who attended the Whāriki hui gained.

Whirikoka student support advisor Mona Lisa Smith believes wānanga sites everywhere would be “humming with even more positivity” if all kaimahi took on board the lessons learnt from the three-day induction noho at Ō-Tāwhao Marae, Te Awamutu in June.

Kaimahi slept in the wharenui built by foundation kaiako and tauira and spent time in the company of the “inspirational” Aunty Ma Panapa.

Facilitator Ruhia King says Te Whāriki is for all kaimahi “new and not-so-new”.

“The purpose of Te Whāriki is to provide a strong knowledge base of our principles and values to kaimahi so they can effectively participate with strength and passion as exemplars to uphold ngā uara (values) of our wānanga.”

On day one of the noho, only three of about 30 kaimahi from Tāmaki, Tainui, Te Awamutu, Rotorua, Whirikoka, Porirua and Ōtautahi knew the wānanga vision, values and principles.

Most kaimahi had an understanding that the wānanga was special but couldn’t properly define or express why this was so.

However, by the final day of Te Whāriki, all kaimahi had a strong understanding about the organisation’s uniqueness, its history and struggles.

To find out more about Te Whāriki and upcoming noho look for the image of Ō-Tāwhao Marae in Te Kete.

Te Whāraiki is only available to kaimahi of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

 Back to news & events

Published On: 30 June 2015

Article By: Alice Te Puni



Other Articles

  • 20 November 2024

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa unveils new programmes to strengthen Māori culture and language.

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is excited to announce the launch of two innovative programmes aimed at preserving and revitalising te reo Māori and nurturing cultural heritage: Te Tohu Reo Rumaki and Te Tohu Tiaki Taonga.

  • 20 November 2024

    Tauira thankful for wānanga support steeped in te ao Māori

    Tauira Rawiri McLean says the support he received from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa while dealing with a family tragedy last year helped him achieve his study goal and progress to Te Pūtaketanga o te Reo, the Level 4 full immersion reo programme.

  • 12 November 2024

    From setbacks to success for Police recruit, Jian Yao

    It was third time lucky for Chinese New Zealander, Jian (Jay) Yao. He always knew he wanted to join the NZ Police but failed the psychometric test twice and thought he’d never be accepted.

  • 11 November 2024

    Healthy future for Cook Island teacher

    Teiā Mataara Potoru came to Aotearoa for her health, decided to fill her time with study and is now teaching at the country’s first Cook Island bilingual unit, at Mangere East Primary school in Tāmaki Makaurau.