Performance measures

1.1 We have a strong footprint in the new education and training system

1.1.1 The mix of provision is reviewed annually to ensure quality, relevance and sustainability of programmes

1.1.2 New programmes and educational initiatives

During the year we made significant progress towards Te Pae Tawhiti strategic objective one - Offering a relevant and sustainable programme mix.

As part of our annual review we held several workshops to develop, consult and agree on a five-year plan for our mix of provision and to grow our footprint in the newly reformed education and training system.

While our first priority remains the advancement of mātauranga Māori, the new plan also includes three specific areas where we will enhance our vocational provision. Internal planning continued through to the end of 2022 to ensure that all new programmes undergo a rigorous development process that includes meaningful stakeholder engagement. 2023 will see further development in these areas.

In addition to this long-term planning, 13 new programmes and educational initiatives were launched in 2022. These included Manahautū with a Police focus, construction, forestry, business, and cultural competency programmes.

1.2 We are the driving force in bi-cultural New Zealand

1.2.1 We forego tauira fee income to provide accessible language and culture programmes

1.2.2 Partner in major cultural initiatives

Fees foregone is calculated by a base fee for tauira studying fee-free language and cultural programmes with an annual adjustment in accordance with the Annual Maximum Fee Movement published in the New Zealand Gazette.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa drives bi-culturalism in New Zealand by providing accessible, fee-free language and cultural programmes, and by using our capability and resources to support an ecosystem of events and activities nationwide. During the year our contribution was recognised with a Ngā Kākā Kura o te Reo Award for helping spearhead the revitalisation of te reo Māori over the last 50 years.

In 2022 9,545 tauira (6,055 EFTS) studied in fee-free te reo and tikanga programmes at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Due to pandemic restrictions in the early part of the year, there were fewer tauira than 2021. However, later in the year thousands of waitlisted tauira were able to begin their haerenga reo with our online Level 1 Papa Reo programme. This, along with an AMFM increase, saw the target exceeded with $10.7 million in fees income forgone.

Furthermore, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa continues to support cultural initiatives that bring life to te ao Māori. In 2022 we supported five major cultural initiatives, including our continued association as the naming sponsor of the Waka Ama Sprint Nationals at Lake Karāpiro. While this major event was unable to go ahead due to COVID-19, we were able to support other regional waka ama events throughout the year.

Over the last seven years our kaimahi have been instrumental in growing our knowledge of the customs and practices surrounding Matariki. In 2022 we launched a website dedicated to this kaupapa and provided support for events and activities that included the first National Matariki Hautapu Ceremony at Te Papa, where a live panel discussion was broadcast to 17,000 viewers on Facebook.

In addition to other initiatives to support Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Mahuru Māori has become a mainstay of the week with 15,633 registered participants committing to speak te reo Māori for a day, a week or the whole month of September.

Another Te Wānanga o Aotearoa initiative, the bi-lingual Taringa podcast, continues to grow in popularity with more than 840,000 downloads throughout the year.

Rangahau is grounded in te ao Māori and holds a deeper meaning than the western notion of research. It is Māori enquiry - not discovery. It is innovative, it validates Māori indigeneity and does not have to be validated externally. Please note that the result for research degree completions is interim as it is subject to validation by the TEC following submission of the final single data return in April 2023.

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is continuing to build a tradition of rangahau that contributes to the advancement of mātauranga Māori.

Over the last two years there has been a shift in focus towards building rangahau capability through our new Centre of Rangahau Excellence - Te Manawahoukura. This initiative, alongside the impact of the pandemic, has directly contributed to the three rangahau targets not being achieved.

In 2022 we saw an ongoing decline in Individual Rangahau Plans (IRP) with only 32% (14 out of 44) of degree-level kaiako with an IRP. There were no major rangahau projects undertaken, consequently no external research income was secured. And despite a strong recovery in completions for our flagship Masters programme - He Waka Hiringa (Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge), the result was just short of the target.

These results should be considered in the context of the establishment phase of Te Manawahoukura. Key kaimahi have now been appointed, a physical presence at our Raroera Campus in Kirikiriroa secured, and the first major initiative to expose kaimahi to external Māori researchers and scholars through a series of workshops was a great success.

Momentum is building as Te Manawahoukura provides a central coordination point for rangahau, delivers initiatives to develop rangahau capability and provides a support network for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi undertaking rangahau.