Growth is on the horizon for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti, which yesterday celebrated three decades of producing proud Māori students.
About 100 people were welcomed to the Fairfield school with a pōwhiri, followed by kai and waiata from students to mark the occasion.
Panel discussions were held on the establishment of the kura and from former students about their experience at the school.
Tumuaki (principal) Marcia Cassidy said the anniversary represented a huge accomplishment for the community.
The celebrations acknowledged the visionary people who fought for the kura, some of whom returned yesterday to see the fruits of their labour.
‘‘At the very beginning, in 1994, there was not a lot of support in many different areas for a kura kaupapa Māori,’’ Ms Cassidy said.
‘‘That might've been a ... sign of the times in the early ’90s, where people, here anyway, weren't quite used to immersing themselves in a te ao Māori, te reo Māori-only space, let alone education pathway.’’
There had been ongoing support over the decades, including from Te Rūnanga Nui o ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa, the national governing body of kura kaupapa Māori, representatives from which were part of the celebrations.
The kura would be nowhere without the three kōhanga reo (total immersion kindergartens) in Dunedin, and Te Wharekura o Arowhenua, in Invercargill, had always been their ‘‘tuakana kura, our support’’, she said.
‘‘Without them we would have really struggled.’’
Kura was not just about educating children, whole whānau were part of the journey.
‘‘He kura hei kāinga, he kāinga hei kura — which means ‘my school is the same as if it is my home, my home is as if it is my school’.’’
Graduates were grounded in their identity and would be leaders in whatever area they pursued, she said.
Last year’s seniors were the first group of students to complete all of their schooling at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ōtepoti.
‘‘They learn that their language is a taonga and ... the language is the window into the comprehensive world of Māori knowledge and Māori thinking.’’
The future of the kura was bright — it would ‘‘flourish’’.
The 52-student school, with five teachers and four kaiāwhina (support staff), expects to welcome 17 new entrants next year.
In the future she anticipated continued roll growth, adding buildings and possibly having a kōhanga reo on site, Ms Cassidy said.
Te Wharekura o Arowhenua principal Gary Davis said the schools enjoyed strong links and the teachers supported each other.
‘‘[We’re here] to mihi to our whānau here.’’
Board of trustees member Fiona Matapo, who had been involved with the school for 27 years, said good things were worth fighting for, and they had certainly fought for the kura, which turned out very proud Māori students.
‘‘Today is a really good expression of the strength of the kaupapa.’’
