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December 10, 2025
Rangimarie Parata Takurua | Perilous State of Kura in Te Waipounamu: A Māori-Medium Education Crisis
Dale Husband
Posted On December 10, 2025
Download AudioAcross Te Waipounamu – the South Island – several kura kaupapa Māori and Māori-immersion schools are facing serious challenges. From decaying buildings to unstable learning environments, the state of these kura raises urgent questions about equity, equity of opportunity, and respect for te reo Māori and tikanga.
A recent report into one kura in Christchurch – Te Pā o Rākaihautū – found its physical buildings remain in poor condition more than a decade after establishment, with “rotting window frames and sills,” persistent leaks over kitchen areas, water-damage, mould growth, and even sewage flooding affecting sanitary facilities.
Teachers and staff at the kura say they conduct early morning inspections to check for structural hazards, ensuring the premises are safe enough for ākonga – a sign that the learning environment is being patched up rather than properly fixed.
Despite some academic success – including above-average results under NCEA – the living conditions continue to undermine the dignity, wellbeing, and long-term potential of students and staff.
Kura kaupapa Māori are more than just schools – they are whare wānanga of te reo, tikanga, and Māori identity. When the physical environment fails, it undermines not only educational attainment, but also the survival of te reo and the mauri of Māori learning institutions.
Furthermore, because many kura in Te Waipounamu serve whānau, hapū and iwi already grappling with historic marginalisation, under-resourcing, and rural disadvantage – poor facilities worsen inequity.
Māori-medium education should not be a second-class option; it is a right that honours whakapapa, mana Māori, and the future of reo and culture.
The situation at Te Pā o Rākaihautū is not isolated. Across Aotearoa there are growing concerns about ageing school infrastructure, inequitable support for kura kaupapa Māori, and policies that fail to protect the kaupapa Māori character of these schools. The surge in enrollments at Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (the national distance-education school) in recent years – particularly among rangatahi Māori – suggests our schooling system is failing many whānau, forcing them into less-than-ideal alternatives.
But remote learning cannot substitute the whakapapa connection, cultural belonging, and community that kura kaupapa Māori provide, especially for those living in Te Waipounamu where whānau, marae, and Māori networks remain vital anchors.
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