Professorial Lecture by Professor Tangiwai Rewi (Livestream)

Āe rānei, he waka eke noa mō te katoa? Is ‘access’ and ‘equal opportunity’ for ALL real? by Professor Tangiwai Rewi

He waka eke noa tēnei waka o te whai mātauranga? He rite tonu te ūranga o te waka ki ngā pae o angitu mō ngā kaihoe katoa?

A ubiquitous proverb uttered by many this suggests, in the educational sense, that there is a place for one and all and that all who access this space have the potential to achieve/accomplish the same.

Does this adage apply or is it a mere ideology?

Coming to university might be a straightforward choice for some, but burdensome for others. Some take a direct path of study where others follow a scenic route, whether by circumstance or design.

This lecture tests the proverb and explores key factors for those who choose the education pathway, how they have navigated it, what they have experienced and the outcomes; and more importantly the observations, experiences and learnings of the past 35 years in my various roles.

This 45-minute lecture will be livestreamed from Ko Te Tangata: the university Wharenui at the University of Waikato, starting at 5.45pm.

Professor Tangiwai Rewi is the Dean at Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao / Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies, University of Waikato.

An educator for 18 years from 1990 included teaching in a bilingual class, setting up Māori immersion schools, negotiating education partnerships with Iwi, organising education summits nationally, licensing Early Childhood centres and assisting primary school communities with post education review office audits as well as managing a national social marketing campaign to keep Māori youth engaged in school longer. In 2008 Tangiwai was appointed to a senior lectureship teaching Māori education at the University of Otago. Following a brief interlude at The Ministry of Education, 2021 revamping NCEA from a Māori perspective and working in Māori policy, then The Ministry for Primary Industries, 2022 managing Customary Fishing alongside Iwi nationally, she returned to Waikato University in November 2023 to take up Te Amokapua, Dean within Te Pua Wānanga ki Te Ao, Māori and Indigenous Studies. Tangiwai, alongside her colleagues, has been focused on revitalising the faculty since her return from a student, staffing, curriculum and community perspective.