Karanga Mai college enrolment jumps, supporting young parents

David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter

The roll of a Kaiapoi college for young parents has seen its roll jump by 17 students over the past year.

The Karanga Mai Young Parents’ College’s roll dropped to just four students in 2024, but efforts to raise the college’s profile have seen 21 students enrolled this year, the head of the college says.

Kaiwhakahaere (director) Whitney Misiuata said the college gives young parents the chance to gain NCEA qualifications, helping them find work and giving them the option of further education, including university.

“Their situations are all different. Some might have had a baby at 15 and didn’t know about us, and then at 18 they realise they can still get NCEA.”

And some mums are juggling part-time jobs, while studying and raising their children.

“It is about helping them get to that next step so they can follow their passions.”

Once students fall pregnant in a mainstream school, if they don’t know about the college and don’t get the support, then they tend to drop out or go to Te Kura (Correspondence School), she said.

“Young parents don’t tend to come here straight from another school. It is usually through a youth coach.”

The college was founded at Kaiapoi High School in 1992 to offer an alternative or second chance for expectant mums and young parents, including dads.

It is supported by the attached Karanga Mai Early Learning Centre, run by the Community Wellbeing North Canterbury Trust.

Waimakariri District Councillor Niki Mealings, who is the council’s appointee on the trust, said Karanga Mai played a valuable role in the community.

“It is fantastic. The ability to give these kids a better start in life by keeping the young parents in school is so important.”

It is just immeasurable the impact it can have on people’s lives.

“Karanga Mai enables young people to become who they are meant to be.”

Mealings said Karanga Mai offered “a whole whānau approach”, providing support for the young parents and their children.

The school goes to great lengths to make sure the parents and their children get to school, she said.

“It is a real wrap around service.”

The college’s focus is on removing barriers to attending school. Thanks to funding from the Rata Foundation, two vans are run each day to pick-up young parents and their children from Hornby, Riccarton, St Albans, Papanui, Oxford and Rangiora.

The funding allows the school to employ its own school counsellor for 20 hours a week and pays for weekly surfing lessons at Waikuku Beach with Surfwise.

The college has also been included in the Ministry of Education’s Ka Ora, Ka Ako Healthy School Lunches Programme for the last few years.

Misiuata said the college had an exemption from the Government’s new programme, with lunches now delivered each day from Little Lunches in New Brighton.

Lunches are specially labelled for pregnant and breastfeeding mums.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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