Latest news with #WhānauOra
Scoop
22-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
‘We just awhi them': Iwi-led initiative tackles school attendance crisis
Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy Reporter The initiative helped to re-engage more than 250 children with education last year. An iwi entity leading a joint approach to tackle low school attendance in Whanganui and South Rangitīkei says the number of cases is sobering. But Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa, based in Marton, counts as 'a huge win' its success in re-engaging more than 250 children with education last year. The students, aged between six and 16, had not been attending school regularly. 'We just awhi them to try to remove any barrier,' Te Puna education, training and employability manager Shonee Cooper said. In 2024, after contracting to the Ministry of Education in 2023, the rūnanga's Te Puna team worked with Whanganui hauora Māori provider Te Oranganui and schools to close 494 cases. Of those, more than half (52 percent) were closed because the children were now enrolled and attending school or engaged in alternative education. This was achieved with a workforce of three: two working in the Te Puna team in Marton and one based with Te Oranganui in Whanganui. Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa is determined to build on the success. Rūnanga general manager of operations Katarina Hina said the numbers were 'sobering' but the issues sitting behind non-enrolment and unexplained absences were complex. Intervention required a broader approach than focusing only on the individual student. 'Our approach is grounded in Whānau Ora. It's not just about the student, but the whole whānau,' Hina said. 'By understanding the wider social context, we have been able to walk alongside families to address the real barriers to attendance.' The iwi was well placed to offer this support and integrated responses that were proving effective, Hina said. This included services and programmes spanning education, training, employment, health, social services, clinical care, environmental services and research. 'This allows for true wraparound services, where we can refer whānau quickly across our internal teams and trusted external partners, ensuring all needs are met.' Cooper said whānau were mostly 'very supportive' of their children's education, but some needed help. 'There are always lots of external elements – the financial pressure of living, travel, even just understanding school and education policies. It can be really frightening for whānau,' Cooper told Local Democracy Reporting. 'To have 494 cases closed and 52 percent re-engaged in education in one year, that was a huge win for us. Our team is amazing and tracking well, and so are our whānau. 'We still have a long way to go but we're getting there and working really hard.' Cooper said for those aged under 16, cases were closed only when students were re-engaged in education. Some cases were closed when young people 'aged out' at 16. These rangatahi were encouraged to consider other education and training options. 'We inform them of what's available to them and try really hard to get them into something.' Good schooling was vital to many aspects of a child's wellbeing, and positive education outcomes helped set a strong foundation for their adult lives, Cooper said. 'We don't want to see any of our babies not fulfilling their education needs. 'A kura should be another arm of the whānau, another valuable community for our tamariki to be part of, one that opens up more opportunities for them.' But she said a one-size-fits-all approach did not work for every child. 'It's important that our kids are learning things that help them with their individual goals. Not all our kids are the same.' Cooper said there were flexible options for students who were not engaging with mainstream education, including hybrid learning arrangements where rangatahi spend part of their week with the iwi and the rest at school. The rūnanga also runs a rangatahi programme, which offers tailored support for young people from across Te Ranga Tupua (a regional tribal area encompassing Whanganui, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu and South Taranaki). Ten rangatahi took part in the first intake. Of those, four returned to secondary school and the remaining six transitioned into full-time training. Last year, Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa hosted the first joint hui for schools across Whanganui and Rangitīkei, bringing together educational leaders, private training establishments, Sport Whanganui, and other partners to share solutions for improving school attendance.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Budget 2025 – A Fiscal Hole Filled By Taking From The Most Vulnerable
Te Hautū Kahurangi | Tertiary Education Union warns that this year's budget doesn't contain enough new money to keep the lights on. Te Pou Ahurei | National Secretary Sandra Grey says 'the funding commitments made, even in the STEM subjects and those described by the ministers as 'workforce demand areas', fail to cover rising costs in the sector.' 'The shortfall of new money will be met by job cuts, increased student fees, and propping up the system by hoping more international students will come.' 'This is another example of a government that has created a fiscal hole, filling it by taking from the most vulnerable. They have done it to Māori by cancelling Whānau Ora contracts, they have done it to women by cancelling pay equity and now they are doing it to young people by making education unaffordable, and defunding subjects like arts and the humanities.' 'Instead of showing leadership by investing money in our future workforce, they would rather give tax breaks to landlords and tobacco companies.' Craig Marshall, an Associate Professor in the School of Biomedical Sciences at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka | The University of Otago, says 'it's regrettable that this should have happened and it illustrates a failure to understand what a proper education system is.' 'For funding on STEM to almost match inflation is beneficial but most universities would be looking at ways of ensuring that their humanities programes remain viable. If you don't know the value of what people want and how they intend to use it then the thing has little value. Humanities tell us about the way people think, which is something we also need to know.'
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Iwi-led initiative tackles Whanganui, Rangitīkei school attendance crisis
In 2024, after contracting to the Ministry of Education in 2023, the rūnanga's Te Puna team worked with Whanganui hauora Māori provider Te Oranganui and schools to close 494 cases. Of those, more than half (52%) were closed because the children were now enrolled and attending school or engaged in alternative education. This was achieved with a workforce of three: two working in the Te Puna team in Marton and one based with Te Oranganui in Whanganui. Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa is determined to build on the success. Rūnanga general manager of operations Katarina Hina said the numbers were 'sobering' but the issues sitting behind non-enrolment and unexplained absences were complex. Intervention required a broader approach than focusing only on the individual student. 'Our approach is grounded in Whānau Ora. It's not just about the student, but the whole whānau,' Hina said. 'By understanding the wider social context, we have been able to walk alongside families to address the real barriers to attendance.' The iwi was well placed to offer this support and integrated responses that were proving effective, she said. This included services and programmes spanning education, training, employment, health, social services, clinical care, environmental services and research. 'This allows for true wraparound services, where we can refer whānau quickly across our internal teams and trusted external partners, ensuring all needs are met.' Cooper said whānau were mostly 'very supportive' of their children's education but some needed help. 'There are always lots of external elements – the financial pressure of living, travel, even just understanding school and education policies. It can be really frightening for whānau,' Cooper told Local Democracy Reporting. 'To have 494 cases closed and 52% re-engaged in education in one year, that was a huge win for us. Our team is amazing and tracking well, and so are our whānau. Advertise with NZME. 'We still have a long way to go but we're getting there and working really hard.' Cooper said that, for those under 16, cases were closed only when students were re-engaged in education. Some cases were closed when young people 'aged out' at 16. These rangatahi were encouraged to consider other education and training options. 'We inform them of what's available to them and try really hard to get them into something.' Good schooling was vital to many aspects of a child's wellbeing, and positive education outcomes helped set a strong foundation for their adult lives, Cooper said. 'We don't want to see any of our babies not fulfilling their education needs. 'A kura should be another arm of the whānau, another valuable community for our tamariki to be part of, one that opens up more opportunities for them.' But she said a one-size-fits-all approach did not work for every child. 'It's important that our kids are learning things that help them with their individual goals. Not all our kids are the same.' Cooper said there were flexible options for students who were not engaging with mainstream education, including hybrid learning arrangements where rangatahi spend part of their week with the iwi and the rest at school. The rūnanga also runs a rangatahi programme, which offers tailored support for young people from across Te Ranga Tupua (a regional tribal area encompassing Whanganui, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu and South Taranaki). Ten rangatahi took part in the first intake. Of those, four returned to secondary school and the remaining six transitioned into full-time training. Last year, Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa hosted the first joint hui for schools across Whanganui and Rangitīkei, bringing together educational leaders, private training establishments, Sport Whanganui and other partners to share solutions for improving school attendance.
Scoop
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu Farewells Staff
Article – RNZ An independent evaluation of the agency's direct social investment model hailed it as an 'outstanding exemplar of an organisation delivering public services that actually work'. Samantha Gee, Nelson Marlborough / Te Tauihu reporter South Island iwi have been celebrating the successes of Whānau Ora commissioning agency Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu, as they farewell staff at a series of events around the South Island. As of the end of June, the organisation will no longer provide Whānau Ora services after a change in Government direction, with Te Puni Kōkiri opening the contracts to other providers. It means around 40 staff will be without jobs, and it's expected another 100 jobs from the partner navigator network will go. Six poroporoaki (farewell events) have been held across the South Island, where staff and whanau have spoken of their devastation at the agency's closure, and celebrated the many success stories that resulted from its mahi. Whānau Ora was created in 2010 by the late Dame Tariana Turia in an effort to improve social and health services for Māori. Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu general partnership board chair Tā Mark Solomon said the agency worked on behalf of eight South Island iwi to determine the best ways to support whānau development. Solomon recalled when he first heard about Whānau Ora, at a meeting with Dame Turia in Christchurch more than a decade ago. 'I stood up at the end and asked her, if I could get all the tribes of Te Waipounamu to come together, could we put in a bid for the Whānau Ora commissioning agency? 'She gave a bit of a giggle and said yes, if you think you can get the tribes together by all means.' Solomon said two meetings later, they were united. He said it was the first time in history that all the tribes of Te Waiponamu had come together to work collectively. They put in a bid for the contract and were successful. An independent evaluation of the agency's direct social investment model hailed it as an 'outstanding exemplar of an organisation delivering public services that actually work'. The evaluation demonstrated that the most conservative impact implied an economic benefit of $2.40 for every $1 of investment. It also found that across 83 funded initiatives, almost 5000 Māori were positively impacted, with the value of increased life satisfaction combined put at $7.2m. 'Proud is an understatement. I'm absolutely in awe of what has been done and the good that it has brought to Te Waipounamu,' Solomon said. In the last five years, Te Pūtahitanga navigators had worked with 14,973 whanau and more than 8,000 people had been supported into employment within communities across the South Island. The new provider, Solomon said, was working under a 'totally different' framework. 'Whānau ora to me is families themselves determining what they need and what goals they need to set to change their life, it's not to be dictated by a government policy.' Te Taumata, the iwi shareholder council of Te Pūtahitanga, co chair and Ngāti Kuia representative Hina-i-te māra Moses-Te Kani said the poroporoaki in Ōtautahi on Thursday was an emotional celebration. She said for the last 11 years, it had been given the opportunity to celebrate mana motuhake, self determination, with funding from the Crown. It had supported countless business ideas through Tūātea, the social investment fund that gave whānau the agency to realise their own aspirations. 'Whānau would come to us with their dreams and aspirations and we had coaches and support people and champions who supported them to set up their organisations in the right way, to live the dream that they wanted to live… one of the outcomes was getting more people into jobs and we created thousands of jobs in this kaupapa.' Many of those businesses were focused on hauora, health and fitness, rongoā Māori, hospitality, art and design. 'We had a 12-year-old who wanted to be the leading poi manufacturer in the world and she achieved that at 14.' She said research showed that the agency had developed one of the most successful international indigenous commissioning models in the word, supporting whanau intergenerationally. 'It's one of the key celebrations for us – this is intrinsically kaupapa Māori all day, every day.' She was still in disbelief at the Government's change in focus, which was now directed at deprivation instead of self-determination. 'How could such a successful life-changing model – moving whanau from deprivation without even focusing on that – how could it be seen as not the right model?' Moses-Te Kani said the iwi alliance across the South Island remained strong and the whanau ora movement created in Te Waipounamu would continue to shine through. 'I think that the legacy from Te Pūtahitanga will morph into something new and something brilliant and we won't completely disappear. What we have created here is like a beautiful flowing awa across the whole of Te Waipounamu and the next brilliant thing will turn up, maybe it'll be international money, or maybe it'll be somebody else's money that will support the kaupapa that we're doing.' Whānau Ora Minister Tama Potaka announced earlier this month that four new community-based Whānau Ora commissioning agencies will replace the three agencies that have led the scheme since its inception. The South Island contract has been awarded to Te Tauraki Limited, a subsidiary of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. He said the agencies were selected to deliver on the government's focus to provide better public services, which were moving in a 'refreshed direction'.
Scoop
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu Farewells Staff
Samantha Gee, Nelson Marlborough / Te Tauihu reporter South Island iwi have been celebrating the successes of Whānau Ora commissioning agency Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu, as they farewell staff at a series of events around the South Island. As of the end of June, the organisation will no longer provide Whānau Ora services after a change in Government direction, with Te Puni Kōkiri opening the contracts to other providers. It means around 40 staff will be without jobs, and it's expected another 100 jobs from the partner navigator network will go. Six poroporoaki (farewell events) have been held across the South Island, where staff and whanau have spoken of their devastation at the agency's closure, and celebrated the many success stories that resulted from its mahi. Whānau Ora was created in 2010 by the late Dame Tariana Turia in an effort to improve social and health services for Māori. Te Pūtahitanga o Te Waipounamu general partnership board chair Tā Mark Solomon said the agency worked on behalf of eight South Island iwi to determine the best ways to support whānau development. Solomon recalled when he first heard about Whānau Ora, at a meeting with Dame Turia in Christchurch more than a decade ago. "I stood up at the end and asked her, if I could get all the tribes of Te Waipounamu to come together, could we put in a bid for the Whānau Ora commissioning agency? "She gave a bit of a giggle and said yes, if you think you can get the tribes together by all means." Solomon said two meetings later, they were united. He said it was the first time in history that all the tribes of Te Waiponamu had come together to work collectively. They put in a bid for the contract and were successful. An independent evaluation of the agency's direct social investment model hailed it as an "outstanding exemplar of an organisation delivering public services that actually work". The evaluation demonstrated that the most conservative impact implied an economic benefit of $2.40 for every $1 of investment. It also found that across 83 funded initiatives, almost 5000 Māori were positively impacted, with the value of increased life satisfaction combined put at $7.2m. "Proud is an understatement. I'm absolutely in awe of what has been done and the good that it has brought to Te Waipounamu," Solomon said. In the last five years, Te Pūtahitanga navigators had worked with 14,973 whanau and more than 8,000 people had been supported into employment within communities across the South Island. The new provider, Solomon said, was working under a "totally different" framework. "Whānau ora to me is families themselves determining what they need and what goals they need to set to change their life, it's not to be dictated by a government policy." Te Taumata, the iwi shareholder council of Te Pūtahitanga, co chair and Ngāti Kuia representative Hina-i-te māra Moses-Te Kani said the poroporoaki in Ōtautahi on Thursday was an emotional celebration. She said for the last 11 years, it had been given the opportunity to celebrate mana motuhake, self determination, with funding from the Crown. It had supported countless business ideas through Tūātea, the social investment fund that gave whānau the agency to realise their own aspirations. "Whānau would come to us with their dreams and aspirations and we had coaches and support people and champions who supported them to set up their organisations in the right way, to live the dream that they wanted to live... one of the outcomes was getting more people into jobs and we created thousands of jobs in this kaupapa." Many of those businesses were focused on hauora, health and fitness, rongoā Māori, hospitality, art and design. "We had a 12-year-old who wanted to be the leading poi manufacturer in the world and she achieved that at 14." She said research showed that the agency had developed one of the most successful international indigenous commissioning models in the word, supporting whanau intergenerationally. "It's one of the key celebrations for us - this is intrinsically kaupapa Māori all day, every day." She was still in disbelief at the Government's change in focus, which was now directed at deprivation instead of self-determination. "How could such a successful life-changing model - moving whanau from deprivation without even focusing on that - how could it be seen as not the right model?" Moses-Te Kani said the iwi alliance across the South Island remained strong and the whanau ora movement created in Te Waipounamu would continue to shine through. "I think that the legacy from Te Pūtahitanga will morph into something new and something brilliant and we won't completely disappear. What we have created here is like a beautiful flowing awa across the whole of Te Waipounamu and the next brilliant thing will turn up, maybe it'll be international money, or maybe it'll be somebody else's money that will support the kaupapa that we're doing." Whānau Ora Minister Tama Potaka announced earlier this month that four new community-based Whānau Ora commissioning agencies will replace the three agencies that have led the scheme since its inception. The South Island contract has been awarded to Te Tauraki Limited, a subsidiary of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. He said the agencies were selected to deliver on the government's focus to provide better public services, which were moving in a "refreshed direction".
