Teachers' Kaupapa Māori/Māori-Medium Education Study Award

Overview of study award

The study award includes:

• paid leave to study an approved post-graduate qualification for up to 2 years. This includes permanent salary units and allowances
• funds up to NZD$2,000 towards your course fees, paid directly to your tertiary provider
• in some cases, a contribution towards your accommodation and travel or relocation expenses.

Leave

• The amount of leave awarded is based on the length of your course. If your application is successful, we will confirm the course dates with your tertiary provider.  
• You need to check with your principal to see whether any fixed-term units and allowances will be paid while you are on leave.  
• The study award funds relief costs to your school or ECE centre for the duration of leave. 

Travel or relocation assistance

• To be eligible for assistance with travel, accommodation or relocation, you must be travelling more than 100km return between your usual workplace and your study centre.  
• For a full-year course, you can claim a maximum of NZD$2000 if you are studying on the same island as your current school or NZD$3500 if you are studying on the other island.  
• Travel, accommodation and relocation assistance will be paid in 2 instalments: the first in March and the second in July.
• If you do not complete your study award, you may be required to repay travel or relocation contributions. 

If you want to apply for a Kaupapa Māori/Māori-Medium Education Study Award, you must:

• be fully registered as an early childhood, primary or secondary teacher
• be permanently employed in immersion and bilingual settings in a kōhanga Reo, ngā puna kōhungahunga, puna reo, licensed ECE service, or a state or state-integrated school
• aspire to improve your proficiency in te reo Māori
• have teaching experience in immersion and bilingual settings
• be committed to developing te reo Māori and tikanga Māori knowledge and skills
• have applied to enrol in one of the approved courses (see ‘Approved courses' section below) 
• provide evidence in your application that you have the approval and support of your employer (principal and school board or ECE centre manager).

Other eligibility considerations

• We give priority to teachers and principals employed in immersion settings level 1 (te reo Māori use 81-100 percent of the time) and level 2 (te reo Māori use 51-80 percent of the time).
• If you are employed part-time, you may still apply for a study award, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. Your award will be pro-rated to your current full-time teaching equivalent (FTTE). 
• If your registration is subject to confirmation, you may apply if you will be fully registered by December prior to starting your study. Please contact us if your registration status changes at any time.
• If you are a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), who works in a number of schools, please ask the principal or school board from your lead school to support your application.
• You cannot undertake a study award at the same time as being appointed to a Community of Learning/Kāhui Ako (cross-community) Teacher role. 

• University of Waikato – Te Rōpū Tohu Paerua
• Te Wānanga o Raukawa – Poutāhū Whakaakoranga
• Te Wānanga o Raukawa – Tāhuhu Whakaakoranga
• University of Canterbury – Hōaka Pounamu