Whanganui students first to sit Te Reo Māori NCEA digital exams

TKKM o Tupoho students Duane Teka (left), Tyreece Corbett, Hoani-Raey Max, Waiquila-Skye Kotuhi and Ngawera Sutton Metekingi are the first to complete new NCEA digital exams. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui students from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tūpoho (TKKM) are feeling quietly confident after sitting digital NCEA exams this week.

The Year 12 and 13 students were the first in the region to sit the newly introduced digital exams.

TKKM o Tūpoho Year 12 students Tyreece Corbett, Duane Teka, Kā Awatea Paul, Hoani-Raey Max, Waiquila-Skye Kotuhi and Ngawera Sutton Metekingi sat the Te Reo Māori level 2 digital exam on Tuesday.

TKKM o Tūpoho principal Tim Tukapua said the NCEA standards have been planned for some time.

"They were first proposed a few years ago and there has been a considerable amount of academic discussion about the design of the exams," he said.

"We are proud that our students are some of the first to sit them this year."

Pou whakahaere Nehi Tukapua said the Year 12 students came out of the exam feeling good after having some initial problems logging in to the NZQA website.

"Their mood tells me they managed well," she said.

Year 13 students Hamuera Wiparata and Te Mahana Huwyler-Nixon were the first to sit NCEA Te Reo Rangatira Te Hiringa and Te Reo Māori Te Hiringa (Scholarship). The scholarship system offers top-performing students the opportunity to receive awards of between $500 and $30,000 towards the cost of tertiary education or training.

TKKM o Tūpoho provides education for students from Years 1 to 13 and has gone from strength to strength since it was established as a small satellite school with five students in 1996.

The kura's success is largely attributed to late principal Stuart Kawau (affectionately known as Papa Stu) who oversaw the school's growth for more than 20 years.

The school now has a roll of 153 and preschool Te Kopae Reo o Tupoho was established on the site in 2014.