The importance of compulsory Māori papers at university’s and why there should be more

The Tumuaki (President) of Te Akatoki (Māori Students Association), Anna Pohatu said taking a Māori paper is self-enhancing.

At The University of Canterbury, a ‘MAOR’ paper is a compulsory core component for just over a quarter* of general bachelor's degrees.

Tumuaki o Te Akatoki, Anna Pohatu (Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Rongowhakaata), said having compulsory Māori papers gives students an important opportunity to engage in valuable kōrero about tangata whenua and be informed about tikanga Māori.

Pohatu said there are “no negative impacts or outcomes by having [Māori papers] compulsory.”

“It's good for the students to educate themselves so that when they go out to the community, and they talk to people [regarding] their research, they've got the skills and the knowledge they were given by the university to ensure they're doing it right,” she said.

Pohatu said UC is the first out of all NZ university’s to have a partnership with mana whenua – the main iwi in the South Island, Ngāi Tūāhuriri – so it's important for UC students to know that by being at this university, being culturally competent “is what we aim to be.”

Pohatu said that there is, however, a lack of Māori education in all levels of NZ schooling; some UC students had told her that they simply didn’t know how to approach or interact with the Māori community.

The Ministry of Education's latest statistics (2022) show that nearly 70% of all students in Aotearoa – from years 1 to 13 ­­–  were not enrolled in any te ao Māori language education.

Pohatu said this lack of Māori education in Aotearoa’s educational institutions is why miscommunication, misinformation and disinformation exist in our society.

“So by having that compulsory [Māori] paper at UC, it gives UC the opportunity to give students [correct] information first,” she said.

Across the four major NZ universities - The University of Auckland, The University of Otago, Victoria University of Wellington, and The University of Canterbury - a MAOR paper is a compulsory core component for just under a quarter* of general bachelor's degrees on average.

Among the bachelor's programs, UoA requires 40% to take compulsory Māori papers, UC follows at approximately 26%, while VuoW stands at 11.8%, and UoO sits at 8.3%*.

*This information was gathered after briefly reviewing all bachelor’s programs at four NZ universities that feature compulsory courses identified by the code MAOR (Māori and Indigenous studies).