It takes a village

Tamariki in Marlborough are set to benefit from a sweeping change in the landscape when it comes to Māori education. Te Pā Wānanga,  Marlborough’s first bilingual kaupapa Māori school, is another step closer to reality after welcoming foundation kaiako Virgil Hills last month.

More than 100 rangatahi, whānau, iwi and school leaders showed their support at a pōhiri at Omaka Marae in Blenheim. Whaea Virgil, who has come to Te Tauihu from Chanel College in Masterton, will take a leading role at Te Pā Wānanga, a satellite unit of Renwick School due to open at Omaka Marae later this year.

Omaka Marae General Manager and Ngāti Apa ki te Rā tō Cultural Advisor Kiley Nepia  said the establishment of Te Pā Wānanga—or ‘the learning village’—represented a significant development that reflected the cultural landscape and need for bilingual education. “There’s a sense of returning to village life, rather than children learning in isolation … they’ll be learning alongside people of all ages, mum and dad, our kaumatua.”

Click here to read about Te Pā Wānanga on Stuff.