An iwi-led charter school backed by Ngāti Toa is set to open in Porirua in Term 3 next year, expanding kaupapa Māori education options in the region.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced Kura Toa will cater for students in Years 7 to 13, with a focus on improving outcomes for Māori learners.
“Kura Toa has identified an opportunity to achieve better education outcomes for Māori students… It will create an environment that gives students the best chance to succeed,” Seymour told Māni Dunlop for Te Ao Māori News.
Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira chief executive Helmut Modlik said the kura reflects a long-term vision to reshape education pathways for iwi.
“Like all Māori, we’re people with the development imperative, and there’s no silver bullet… but the closest thing we’ve got is education,” Modlik told Dunlop.
He said the iwi has been deliberate in creating new pathways for tamariki.
“We have been very deliberate as a tribe of reimagining the pathways and the options that are available for our tamariki,” Modlik told Dunlop.
Kura Toa will operate as a bilingual environment and is already being trialled with 24 students. Demand is expected to grow quickly, with plans to reach a roll of 200.
“With the waiting list, we would expect that to double pretty much straight away,” Modlik told Dunlop.
The kura will be supported by Ngāti Toa’s education hub Puna Mātauranga and wraparound service Te Pikau o te Rangi, with a focus on wellbeing, cultural identity and tailored learning pathways.
Modlik said the charter model provides an opportunity for iwi to exercise greater control over education outcomes.
“This is an instance where they have conceived and made available to us a pathway for us to exert our mana motuhake,” he told Dunlop.
Kura Toa is expected to open in Term 3, 2026, with site options still under consideration in Porirua.