Kiliona Tamati-Tupa'i (left) and Lilly Eckhold are studying at the University of mini传媒 after graduating from kura kaupapa M膩ori immersion schools last year.
She is one of six students from a M膩ori immersion school background enrolled for their first year at Te Whare W膩nanga o Waitaha | University of mini传媒 this year.
Lilly (Ng膩i Tahu, Waikato) says it鈥檚 a big adjustment coming to a large institution from a kura kaupapa in T膩maki-makau-rau Auckland. 鈥淗aving to wrap my head around mainstream education and the language has been a bit of a bumpy road,鈥 she admits. 鈥淚鈥檓 enjoying it, but it鈥檚 challenging.
鈥淭his is what us kura kids have to open up to when we join mainstream education. There is a culture change there, but I鈥檝e been sticking close to my mates and getting support from UC staff.鈥
The 18-year-old is motivated by her family and being the first to enrol at university.听鈥淚f I was to let myself down, I鈥檇 also be letting my family down too so that鈥檚 giving me the urge to push forward. I wouldn鈥檛 want them to be disappointed with me.鈥
She chose to come to 艑tautahi Christchurch to be closer to extended family here, while also living away from home. She is studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce and wants to work in multicultural events management when she graduates.
UC has made a commitment to supporting kura kaupapa students, like Lilly, and aims to partner with the two local kura kaupapa M膩ori as a first step. Staff have been听supporting students with understanding the university system, showing them how to apply for scholarships, and helping them navigate听enrolment in tertiary study.
UC Amokapua P膩k膩kano | Assistant Vice-Chancellor M膩ori, Pacific and Equity Dr Darryn Russell听says it鈥檚 important for the university to recognise first language and native reo speakers and to accept they often face additional hurdles when coming to university.
听鈥淢any M膩ori students have not yet established an intergenerational legacy within their wh膩nau of going to university.听 So, it鈥檚 important that we challenge our own institutional culture and tailor programmes that engage with kura kaupapa in ways that best support their students to learn about the options that are open to them.
鈥淭raditionally this group of students have not been well-supported in their transition to university and the tertiary sector has not actively engaged with kura kaupapa. But we must make, and have started making, a commitment to local kura, and to others around the motu, to work with them to help their students.鈥
The two local kura kaupapa in 艑tautahi are Te Kura Kaupapa M膩ori o Te Kura Whakap奴mau i te Reo T奴turu ki Waitaha and Te Kura Kaupapa M膩ori o Te Wh膩nau Tahi. Year 12 students from both of these kura will be among the 150 M膩ori taiohi (students) attending听Aukaha Tau 12听 - an event that provides an introduction to university life - at UC鈥檚 Ilam campus next Tuesday.
Earlier this year UC launched a new pilot programme to support M膩ori and Pacific students with transition into university and navigating their first year at UC.听Takere听began with a four-week live-in scholarship programme for 37 students and have had continued mentoring and support throughout the year.
Five of the six kura kaupapa M膩ori students who started at UC this year are taking part in this programme.听听
Students at UC have the option of submitting assignments in te reo M膩ori and their work is marked by someone proficient in the language who is not known to the student. Dr Russell says just as other students have strengths and confidence in the English language, kura kaupapa students have competency and strengths in te reo M膩ori.听
鈥淭hey are confident, bicultural students and we need to change and adapt in order for them to succeed as M膩ori, rather than expecting them to leave part of themselves at the door when they come to our institution. It鈥檚 about working differently so we can help break through those barriers.鈥
Kiliona Tamati-Tupa'i (K膩i Tahu, K膩ti M膩moe, Te 膧tiawa, Samoa) is in his first year at UC, studying towards a Bachelor of Science, after graduation from Te Kura Kaupapa M膩ori o Te Wh膩nau Tahi last year. He says regular workshops held at the kura by UC staff in the last few terms of school smoothed the transition to university.
鈥淗aving people come and talk to us about courses really helped. They gave us some insight into the University as a whole.
鈥淭here were a lot of us who weren鈥檛 even thinking about going to university but now the majority of my class from last year are studying at a tertiary institution 鈥 with four of us here at UC.鈥
Kiliona, who received the 2020 Top Subject Scholarship Award for Te Reo Rangatira from NZQA, says there are advantages in being from a kura kaupapa background. 鈥淭here鈥檚 the cultural perspective that we bring, and that鈥檚 something I think has been a real advantage for me, and of course, the fact that we鈥檙e bilingual.
鈥淚鈥檓 studying Environmental Sciences and even though I鈥檝e grown up in cities there are a lot of things I can relate to because of my connections to my marae and my papak膩ika [ancestral home].鈥
Kura kaupapa M膩ori are M膩ori-language immersion schools that are committed to revitalising M膩ori language and the philosophy, practices and values of M膩ori culture. In July last year there were more than 22,000 students enrolled in M膩ori-medium education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
This year, new enrolments of M膩ori students at UC were up 30 per cent on last year鈥檚 tally, with 483 equivalent full-time students compared to 373 last year.
- Aukaha Tau 12听will be held at UC's Ilam campus next Tuesday, 6 July. mini传媒 150 M膩ori students currently in Year 12 at Christchurch high schools - includingt students from both local kura kaupapa - are registered to attend. With interactive sessions and keynote speakers,听Aukaha Tau 12听is a chance for taiohi to explore what鈥檚 on offer and get information about courses and degrees taught at UC.听
