Te Aho Matua: A History of Kura Kaupapa Māori

By Taipari Taua (Muriwhenua, Ngāpuhi)

Tamaiti ākona i te kāinga, tū ana ki te marae

Tamaiti ākona i te Kura Kaupapa, tū ana ki te ao, tau ana!

A child taught at home stands securely at the marae

A child taught at a Kura Kaupapa stands securely in the world

The Kōhanga Reo movement was born at a time where the Māori language and culture were in a dire state. In 1913, over 90% of Māori schoolchildren could speak the language. By 1975, this figure had fallen to less than 5%. Te Reo Māori was considered a dying language. In response,  Kaumātua (elders) and academics took action to revive it, determined that it would not be lost.

They focused on their mokopuna (grandkids),establishing the very first  Kōhanga Reo in 1982. A Kōhanga Reo—meaning language nest—is a full immersion Māori pre-school that focuses on the revitalisation of the Māori language and culture. Eventually, hundreds of Kōhanga were established. 

However, it soon became clear that once tamariki left Kōhanga and entered mainstream schools their Māori language was lost almost immediately. So, in 1987, a working group came together to map out a schooling pathway for Kōhanga graduates to continue their education into full-immersion Te Reo Māori. This came after the first kura, TKKM o Hoani Waititi, was set up in 1985. 

The working group consisted of Katerina Te Heikoko Mataira, Pita Sharples, Toni Waho, Pem Bird, Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Graham Smith, Cathy Dewes, Rahera Shortland, and Tuki Nepe. Together, they developed Te Aho Matua—the philosophical foundation of Kura Kaupapa Māori. It outlines the core principles by which Kura Kaupapa operate. 

There are six mātāpono(sections) of Te Aho Matua:

Te Ira Tangata

Te Ira Tangata is all about the human essence—where it comes from and our connections with others. This section of philosophy talks about the connection between the living world and the spiritual realm. It starts off by explaining that all Māori children are seeds sown from Rangiātea, the ancestral and spiritual homeland of Māori people. It then reminds us that everyone has their own tapu (sacredness), and that we must respect and look after ourselves and each other.

Te Reo

The Te Reo section of the Aho Matua philosophy is about the Māori language. It stresses the importance of the full immersion of the language, in the aim of revitalising Te Reo Māori. This section also reminds us that while the Māori language is a treasure under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and we have the right to use it in the law, there’s no use for it in Te Tiriti and the law if it’s not also coming from our hearts and from our tongues. 

Ngā Iwi

The Ngā Iwi focuses on the communities that surround and support students. It emphasises the importance of students knowing where they come from and their whakapapa (genealogy and connections).  Ngā Iwi says it’s imperative that students take pride in their heritage, while also respecting the whakapapa of others. 

A vital section is the importance of the contribution of whānau (family) to the education of their children. Whānau must do their part in the education of their children so that they are raised with the communal values that underpin Māori culture. At kura, you’ll often see whānau playing big roles in helping kura function. One, because that’s part of the philosophy, and two, because of the lack of funding and resources given to kura—whānau truly are the backbone of Kura Kaupapa Māori.

Te Ao

Te Ao is about the world that surrounds students. This section speaks to both the old world of their ancestors as well as the present world around them. It highlights the importance of students being educated in the knowledge of their ancestors, but not being bound to that world. Te Ao speaks to the importance of students knowing the whakapapa of the world around them from Ranginui and Papatūānuku, right down to the environment that surrounds them. This of course includes ensuring that students understand how to look after the environment.

Āhuatanga Ako

The Āhuatanga Ako outlines the educational philosophy of Kura Kaupapa Māori. It emphasises the importance of lively and engaging teaching methods as well as learning environments. This can be ensured by surrounding students in environments outside of the classroom like the marae, outside, etc, and by ensuring that students spend time with their elders. It encourages balance: the equal importance of both being quiet and listening as well as asking questions. It also rejects rigid separation by age or gender, fostering healthy, respectful relationships among all students.

Te Tino Uaratanga

Te Tino Uaratanga encompasses the 12 core values of Te Aho Matua. It’s about ensuring the identity of students is strong and fixed to their culture.

Today, there are now approximately 67 Kura Kaupapa Māori, as well as a growing number of Kura ā-Iwi—schools operated by iwi with a different philosophical framework.  The movement has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Its raukura (graduates/alumni) now occupy spaces in Parliament, media, courtrooms, and other centres of influence.

But the challenges remain. The biggest is the persistent lack of funding, resources, and government support, despite Kura Kaupapa Māori consistently outperforming mainstream schools academically. The biggest struggle of all being the humongous lack of funding, resources, and care from the government despite consistently outperforming mainstream schools academically. There are not nearly enough Kura Kaupapa Māori around the country, nearly all Kōhanga Reo and Kura Kaupapa Māori are full and have long waitlists, forcing whānau to send their kids to mainstream school in the meantime—often resulting in a loss of language and cultural immersion during crucial years.

This is further proof that colonisation is an active process, not a historical event. Moana Jackson says that colonisation can be defined as the violent denial of the right of indigenous peoples to continue governing themselves in their own lands. Kura Kaupapa Māori shows what happens when Māori are able to choose what is right for us, by us, and the lack of support for this initiative is a continuation of the denial of Māori to govern ourselves. 

And yet, Kura Kaupapa Māori endures—and will only grow stronger. With the progress of the last 40 years, the future is promising.

For me, being educated at Kura Kaupapa has been one of the biggest privileges of my life. It’s more than a school I just happened to attend, it’s something you carry with you forever. Being a raukura is an identity, a privilege, and a responsibility to the promotion and revitalisation of Te Reo Māori.

Moana Jackson also said that belief was the greatest thing colonisation stole from us—not just our land or our culture, but our belief in ourselves. Our belief that our language mattered. That our ways of living were valid. That we were good enough.

Kura Kaupapa Māori defy that disbelief. When most people had given up on the idea of language revitalisation—when being Māori was something to be ashamed of—leaders like Katerina and Pita imagined a future where Māori children were strong and confident in their language and culture.

As Sir Hēmi Henare said, 

“It is preposterous that any Māori should aspire to become a poor Pākehā, when their true destiny, prescribed by the Creator, is to become a great Māori.” Kura Kaupapa Māori are the embodiment of this; Te Aho Matua instils a sense of confidence, security, and belief in one's own self. 

To be raised with the knowledge that you are a seed sown from Rangiātea—that your mana is an inherent gift passed down from the gods, to your ancestors, to you— results in tamariki who grow up unhindered by the rhetoric that says Māori are lazy, that Māori will never amount to anything. 

If only every Māori child got to hear that growing up.