local kids get fresh start at learning

School operating out of Owhata Marae. From left, Josiah Ransfield, 14, Paraone Pirika, and Kelvin Tapuke. 02 February 2015 Photograph Stephen Parker.

A new year of learning is underway, and for 20 local kids, this year is about getting a fresh start.

Te Kura correspondence school is expanding its Maui Tu initiative based at Owhata Marae to re-engage with more kids who haven't been attending school.

Chief executive Mike Hollings says the project is the result of a collaborative partnership between the Ministry of Education, Te Waiariki Purea Trust and Te Kura in response to the number of youth in Rotorua who are disengaged from mainstream schooling.

"Maui Tu is a project that was set up in mid-2014 with the aim to re-engage these students in education so they can gain the qualifications and skills they need to be successful lifelong learners," he says.

"During 2014 there were 15 students participating in the programme, and in 2015 we expect there to be 20 students. They range from Year 9 to Year 13. All of the students were disengaged from education before enrolling with Te Kura, some for as long as two years. Either they had simply stopped attending school or they were excluded/expelled from school."

Mike says all the students in the programme are enrolled with Te Kura and have a learning programme delivered by Te Kura teachers.

"Each student has a personalised, authentic learning programme based around their interests and potential. Each week these students take part in three days of formal learning and two days where they are involved in shadow days/internships to further their own passions and interests.

"All kids are capable of learning in the right environments."

Poutautoko Kelvin Tapuke says he plays many roles with Te Kura from form teacher, to tutor, but says he has lots of support.

"We have two teacher aids that help out, and because we are part of Te Kura we also have teachers that can come and help with literacy and numeracy for NCEA Level. I really enjoy my role although it's had it's challenges; part of that is the education sector coming to understand what it is that we are about.

"The problem is that they see it as a last point of contact rather than a stepping stone to something else. School is not for everybody. "

Mike says all the students who participated in 2014 are now re-engaged in education or training.

"Two are on learning internships - one of these has been on a dairy farm and the student will be attending the Taratahi agricultural training centre this year; and the other internship was at a local gym. One of the students who attended last year had effectively disengaged from education at year 6 and for the last four years was not attending school even though he was enrolled.

"When he first started at Maui Tu he would take 20 minutes to get out of bed while the pick-up vehicle waited for him. Now he is pretty much at the gate waiting when he gets picked up in the morning. He enjoys learning at his pace, not feeling judged, and the rate at which he is returning his completed booklets has gone through the roof."

Mike says funding from the Rotorua Trust helps with the hire of a van, a necessity in transporting students to and from the marae and a camp near the Buried Village.

"Here they are taught life skills and encouraged to meet the goals they set for themselves before being able to come on the course," he says.

"Maui Tu is an example of the partnerships we are developing across the country where there are clusters of students who are already enrolled with Te Kura or who have been identified by the community as needing support to re-engage in education.

"As a distance education provider with students across New Zealand, Te Kura is well placed to work with communities to support students who have struggled to succeed in a face-to-face school.

"This is one of the reasons we opened regional offices in Auckland, Hamilton and Christchurch, and more recently in smaller centres like Hastings, Rotorua, Whangarei and Nelson. Last year we had 26,000 kids enrolled with us from hugely diverse backgrounds."