Te pakeke hei ākonga: Māori adult learners

2.1 Who are the providers?

There are a number of institutions that provide foundation programmes for adult Māori learners. These range from traditional providers through to private and iwi-based providers. Traditional providers include polytechnics and universities. These have been termed ‘traditional’ because they have a long history of providing tertiary education or formal education beyond schooling. Courses run by these traditional providers range from certificates and diplomas through to degrees. However, it is only since the 1990s that polytechnics have offered degrees and until a relaxation in the entry requirements for those over 20 years of age, universities did not usually run foundation or bridging programmes, although they ran “Head Start”, programmes.

Private Training Establishments, or PTEs, are more recent entrants in the field of adult education, although several PTEs advised that they have been in existence “for a very long time”, nearly 30 years. Iwi providers have a strong iwi base and are often set up as a PTE. In addition to iwi providers there are whare wānanga, which were formalised under the Education Amendment Act 1990. Whare wānanga are funded in a range of ways including EFTS (Equivalent Full Time Students), and capital grants from Treaty of Waitangi settlement claims. Of the three wānanga in Aotearoa New Zealand, one is iwi-based, another is strongly linked to an iwi but does not provide education exclusively to people from that iwi, and the other wānanga is more pan-tribal, enrolling Māori from all over the motu (islands) as well as having growing numbers of staff and students who are non-Māori.

2.2 The aims of the providers

The aim of the traditional providers in their foundation courses is mainly to scaffold their students into further tertiary study at diploma or degree level. Their courses are more likely to be at levels 3, 4 and 5. There is strong expectation that the learners will enrol in further tertiary courses at their institution.

PTEs, iwi providers, and wānanga may encourage their students to enrol in further courses, or to get a job, or to go to another tertiary provider. Additionally they consider they have an additional purpose over and above literacy and numeracy.

The PTEs in this research project tended to deliver literacy or numeracy programmes at level 1 or 2, as “there’s a huge group of Māori people who have to have a prerequisite. They’re never going to be good enough at that stage to get into level 3 programmes.” (Māori CEO, PTE). At the foundation levels 1 and 2, tutors had to work on telling the students “you’re not a failure” and “attitudinal stuff” like building confidence and self-esteem. Additionally, “there’s a lot of stuff here done on values within a smaller environment… Once they get to level 3 they’ve got a really good chance of continuing on” (Māori CEO, PTE).

As well as their foundation level 1 and 2 course, one PTE ran a foundation level 3 programme on contract to a polytechnic, and at two different sites. The iwi provider also delivered a level 5 course that was designed to scaffold students into degree courses like teaching, social work or Māori studies. “The kids or real beginners go to a training opportunities course at level 3… The capable, mature ones go to level 5” (CEO, iwi provider). The level 3 course was “not too threatening” and tutors talked to students about future options.

The iwi provider and one of the traditional providers “used a two-pronged approach” (CEO, iwi provider). Their students “didn’t often want just study skills” so te reo Māori (Māori language) and tikanga were the main basis of the course, with additional papers that combined all the skills of “research, writing and reading”. One of these providers also included a foundation paper on numeracy that was largely designed to scaffold the students into a teacher education degree delivered by that provider.

In summary, the foundation courses were at NZQA Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4/5. The younger Māori learners, around 20 years old or younger, who left school with no qualifications and limited skills, tended to go into the early level courses. The more mature students and those who left school with some NCEA credits were more likely to go into levels 3 or 4/5 to strengthen their academic skills or to give them confidence before moving to a degree programme.

2.3 Funding and fees

Funding is provided by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) or the Ministry of Social Development based on the aims of the programme, although “it is never enough for our needs”, lamented one CEO (PTE). Funding for traditional providers is based on EFTS and additional fees are usually paid by those enrolled in the courses. Foundation courses are subsidised by the government at a lower rate than the diploma or degree courses. If students pay fees, they are at a much lower rate than diploma or degree courses. Students’ fees in PTEs are usually non-existent or are minimal. However, one iwi provider advised that their fees were $2,900 for a one-year level 5 foundation course.

According to one CEO, most students who pay course fees get loans or have a Training Incentive Allowance, which is a transition allowance for those on some form of state-provided benefit. Some students obtain scholarships from their iwi or from elsewhere.

2.4 The staff

Some PTEs, wānanga and iwi providers are whānau-based; that is, many of their staff come from the same iwi, or they are often family members related to each other in some way. One PTE shared:

Several other Māori PTEs we visited had husband and wife teams involved as well as other whānau members. The whānau concept seemed to permeate the whole PTE or iwi group as an organisational model from management, staff and down through to the students. These relationships were not identified as problematic in any of the student or tutor interviews.

This whānau structure is in sharp contrast to traditional providers, who employ individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications, experience and fit to the job at hand. The tutors in the traditional institutions visited tended to have a bachelor’s degree and were studying at the next level, whereas most of the tutors in the non-traditional sector tended not to have a degree, although many of them had a diploma or certificate or were studying for the National Certificate in Literacy Education (Educator) or the National Certificate in Adult Teaching (CAT).

2.5 The students

The students had enrolled on the courses for a range of reasons. Most of the students were there voluntarily although it appeared some had been sent on the course because they were not old enough to leave school or get a job, and thus they had nowhere else to go.

Tutors shared why they thought students came to their programmes.

Some students were enrolled because they wanted to prepare themselves for further study or to gain skills that would make them more employable.

Some of the students were motivated to study so they could help their children with their homework or better engage with their family.

Students who were attending the te reo Māori course were wanting either to go on to further tertiary study or to be a role model for their family.

Younger students on the early level foundation courses were usually there for social reasons as one CEO outlines.