University launches new pathway for Māori-medium STEM teachers

A new graduate programme at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland will support the development of STEM education in Māori-medium settings, while contributing to the revitalisation of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori.

Tohu Pōkairua Paetahi (Ara Reo) is a one-year graduate diploma designed for graduates and kaiako seeking to become qualified teachers, strengthening their knowledge and practice in STEM through Māori medium or Māori language education settings.

The programme is part of the University’s broader commitment to advancing te reo Māori and Indigenous scholarship, and aligns with He Makau Mauroa, the University’s Te Reo Māori Strategy 2026–2030, and Kawea Ake, its strategy for Indigenous scholarship and research.

Associate Head of Initial Teacher Education and programme co-designer Ella Pepi Tarapa-Dewes (Ngāti Tiipa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pāoa) says the programme recognises the importance of developing STEM education within a Māori-medium context.

“It’s not just about te reo revitalisation, but mātauranga Māori revitalisation,” she says.

Māori-medium education has developed significantly over the past four decades and is internationally recognised as an Indigenous education model. Tohu Pōkairua Paetahi (Ara Reo) builds on this foundation by supporting kaiako to further develop STEM teaching within Māori-medium settings.

Pēpi Tarapa-Dewes says STEM education has particular significance when considered through te ao Māori.

“STEM disciplines have long-standing connections with mātauranga Māori, from navigation and astronomy to technology and environmental knowledge. The programme provides an opportunity to consider how these knowledge systems can inform STEM education in contemporary Māori-medium classrooms.”

“It’s a real great example of how our tūpuna have always been kaipūtaiao or scientists, the navigators, the astronomers, the technologists,” she says.

The programme takes an approach to STEM education that goes beyond translating existing curricula into te reo Māori. It considers how STEM knowledge and teaching practice can be situated within mātauranga Māori and Māori-medium education.

“What's just as important around te reo Māori revitalisation is mātauranga Māori revitalisation,” she says.

Teaching STEM through te reo Māori also contributes to the development and normalisation of STEM terminology and concepts in the language, strengthening its use across contemporary fields.

“As a tertiary institution, we have this responsibility not just around language, but the revitalisation of that mātauranga with this forward-focused view,” says Pēpi Tarapa-Dewes.  

Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori Professor Te Kawehau Hoskins (Ngāti Hau, Ngāpuhi) says the programme reflects the University’s responsibility to support the continued development of Māori-medium education and Indigenous scholarship.

“This programme is part of our commitment to strengthening Māori-medium education and ensuring that te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori continue to thrive across all areas of learning,” Professor Hoskins says.

“It is an important step in supporting a teaching workforce equipped to deliver STEM education in ways that recognise and draw upon Māori knowledge, while creating strong educational pathways for future generations.”

The programme contributes to the objectives of He Makau Mauroa, which sets the University’s direction for te reo Māori revitalisation, and Kawea Ake, which seeks to strengthen Indigenous scholarship and research across the University.

Together, these strategies provide a framework for initiatives that strengthen Māori knowledge, language and educational pathways across the University.

The first cohort will focus on kaiako in Te Tai Tokerau and Tāmaki, including the upper Waikato, helping to strengthen the Māori-medium teaching workforce in these regions.

The programme will be delivered primarily online over one year, with noho marae incorporated throughout the programme.

The graduate diploma is open to graduates who want to become qualified teachers, as well as kaiako who may already have teaching experience but do not yet hold a teaching qualification. This can include those working as relievers or teaching under temporary arrangements.

Applicants who hold a degree or other qualification recognised for admission can apply without needing prior teaching experience. Those without a recognised qualification may also be considered where their relevant experience is equivalent to a recognised qualification.

Hoskins says strengthening STEM education through Māori medium is about ensuring Māori learners can engage with contemporary scientific and technological fields without separating that learning from their language, identity and knowledge systems.

"The programme will provide a pathway into qualified teaching while strengthening STEM education for the next generation of Māori-medium learners.”