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Story: Private education

Māori schools

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Māori schools

The number of Māori church boarding schools was never large, and their existence has been precarious. Falling rolls limited the range of subjects taught, in turn reducing student numbers. Wesley College, included here, has at times been a predominantly Māori school. In the 2000s many of its students were from the Pacific Islands. In 2011 six Māori boarding schools remained open, but Te Aute College in Hawke's Bay, long one of the most respected schools, was threatened with closure.

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How to cite this page

Megan Cook, Private education – Māori church boarding schools, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/diagram/35036/maori-schools (accessed 19 June 2026).

Story by Megan Cook, published 14 June 2012.