Te Kura Raunui
Te Reo Māori Training
Expressions of Interest for Te Kura Raunui for Term 3 are now closed.
Term 4 intake
For Term 4, Expressions of Interest will open mid-Term 3, and will offer:
- Rautahi (Level 1 Absolute Beginners)
- Raurua (Level 2 Foundational Speakers)
- Rautoru (Level 3 Expanding Everyday Interaction)
Full programme details
Te Kura Raunui is an online te reo Māori training programme for teachers, kaiako, and support staff working in schools and kura with students in Years 0–13. It is a Ministry of Education initiative delivered by Te Ataarangi, a Māori language revitalisation organisation with more than 40 years of experience.
The programme builds teachers’ practical confidence, fluency, and everyday use of te reo Māori in classroom contexts. It is aligned with Te Aho Arataki Marau mō te Ako i te Reo Māori – Kura Auraki, ensuring national consistency and strong links to classroom practice, language planning, and language use.
Programme Delivery
- Delivered as 10 week online modules, 2 hours per week during the school term.
- Full immersion, oral based learning delivered via Zoom.
- Each session begins in a main room before moving into small breakout groups of around 10, facilitated by a trained Te Ataarangi Taiwhirinaki.
- Groups stay together throughout the module to build confidence, connection, and supported learning.
- Resources are provided before and after classes, following Te Ataarangi’s oral acquisition approach instead of traditional workbooks.
- Visual and kinaesthetic tools such as rākau (Cuisenaire rods) support understanding through listening, speaking, repetition, and meaningful use.
- Speaking communities help participants continue practising their reo throughout the week.
Guidance for language level selection
Language level selection is a self-assessment process. You will need to determine which language level best suits your current abilities before registering.
To support your self-assessment, please watch the short videos available here: Reo Kōrero
These videos provide guidance on the language expectations for each level and will help you choose the most appropriate programme.
Programme Growth
Te Kura Raunui is designed to build national reo Māori capability over time.
The programme will support up to 5,000 teachers in 2026.
Capacity will continue to expand over future years as delivery scales and additional levels are released.
This long term approach strengthens sustained reo Māori use and confidence across schools and kura Years 0-13 students.
Expression of Interest process
Submitting an expression of interest allows kaiako to signal interest in participating in the programme and helps inform our planning for facilitated places and language levels.
An expression of interest does not guarantee a place and is not a formal registration. All expressions of interest will be reviewed, and you will receive an email confirming your placement after that.
Eligibility
Open to active/current primary and secondary schools (Years 0–13) who use the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (TMoA). This includes:
- Teachers
- Kaiako
- Principals
- Support staff
Access Requirements (ESL)
Participants will need an active Education Sector Login (ESL) to complete your expression of interest
Please ensure you have an active ESL before expressions of interest open. If you need support with accessing or resetting your ESL, please go here: Education Sector Logon (ESL) | Applications & Online Systems
For ESL access or password-related queries, please contact the N4L Service Desk on 0800 422 599 or at [email protected].
Opportunities for Māori Medium and Proficient Kaiako
Support for kaiako more proficient in reo Māori, and for those who are proficient in te reo Māori, is available through Te Rākau Taumatua, an advanced online programme designed to build language capability and strengthen effective te reo Māori practice. More information can be found here: Te Rākau Taumatua - Te Reo Māori Professional Development
Contact
For any pātai or questions, please contact:
- Ministry’s te reo Māori support team [email protected]
- Te Ataarangi at [email protected]
- For ESL access or password-related queries, please contact the N4L Service Desk on 0800 422 599 or at [email protected]
- Frequently Asked Questions
Te Kura Raunui is an online te reo Māori training programme for teachers and kaiako in English‑medium schools (Years 0–13). It launches in Term 2, 2026 and is designed to build practical confidence, fluency, and everyday reo use in classroom practice. The programme aligns with Te Aho Arataki Marau mō te Ako i te Reo Māori – Kura Auraki, supporting national consistency and strengthening classroom practice, language planning, and reo Māori use.
- 10‑week online modules (2 hours per week) held during the school term
- Four language levels to support progression
- Small breakout rooms led by experienced Te Ataarangi kaiako
- Full‑immersion, oral‑based learning approach
- Resources provided before and after each class
- Speaking communities to support reo practice
An expression of interest helps us understand demand for the programme and supports us with our planning. It is not a confirmed place or a formal enrolment.
All expressions of interest will be reviewed by our Ministry of Education team; they will check for eligibility. You will receive a confirmation email should you be successful or not in receiving a placement on the programme.
Expressions of interest open the term preceding each delivery, i.e. expressions of interest open mid-Term 3 for term 4 delivery.
Term 4 2026 delivery will include:
Rau 1 – Foundations for Reo Immersion
- No prior knowledge required
- Develop confidence in learning through listening
- Build foundational classroom sentence patterns
- Focus on oral confidence over written accuracy
Rau 2 – Building Confidence Through Listening
- Extend and scaffold sentence patterns
- Strengthen repetition and spontaneous recall
- Increase flexibility in daily classroom contexts
Rau 3 – Expanding Everyday Interaction
- Broaden classroom language use
- Introduce short mihi
- Increase complexity of instructions
- Develop conversational confidence in familiar settings
Term 1 in 2027 will include all of the above and:
Rau 4 – Developing Conversational Proficiency
- Strengthen your ability to listen to and follow spoken reo Māori in real time
- Develop greater confidence in responding naturally within familiar contexts
- Use extended mihi to begin and end class, alongside simple mihi for everyday use with colleagues
- Practise basic interactions with whānau and community
- Begin identifying opportunities to integrate reo Māori into your daily routines
Yes. Expressions of interests will only be accepted from those who have an ESL.
No. Places are limited and you will receive a confirmation email should you be successful or not in receiving a placement on the programme.
All teachers, kaiako, principals, and support staff who use The New Zealand Curriculum (Years 0–13). No prior reo Māori is required.
Early childhood kaiako are not eligible at this time.
Placement is guided by Te Aho Arataki Marau. Language level selection is a self-assessment process. You will need to determine which language level best suits your current abilities before registering.
To support your self-assessment, please watch the short videos available here: https://vimeo.com/user153362477
These videos provide guidance on the language expectations for each level and will help you choose the most appropriate programme.
Kaiako from Te Ataarangi will also support level placement.
No. The programme is designed for learning outside school hours.
No. Te Kura Raunui is fully funded by the Ministry of Education.
Participants must work in a New Zealand primary or secondary school using the New Zealand Curriculum and have an active ESL. No reo Māori knowledge is needed.
Yes, if it aligns with individual teacher goals and the Standards for the Teaching Profession. However, this is at the discretion of the school.
The programme is delivered by Te Ataarangi, an organisation with more than 40 years of reo Māori revitalisation expert 40 years of reo revitalisation expertise.
Te Ataarangi website Te Kura Raunui | Reo Kōrero
Participants must work in a New Zealand primary or secondary school using the New Zealand Curriculum and have an active ESL. No reo Māori knowledge is needed.
They were selected following a competitive GETS procurement process in which they ranked first.
5,000 teachers will access facilitated learning in 2026. All 51,000 NZC teachers will be able to access self‑paced programmes through their ESL.
Online delivery keeps fixed content costs stable while only facilitation and support scale with demand, ensuring cost‑efficiency.
Te Kura Raunui is aligned to Te Aho Arataki Marau – Kura Auraki, designed for English‑medium teachers, and focused on everyday fluency for classroom practice.
It aligns with effective adult‑learning principles, offers flexible pacing, and supports nationwide access at scale.
Not at this stage. The programme is designed for teachers in the schooling sector (Years 0–13).
If all places for an intake are filled, no further participants can be accepted. Additional facilitated places will be available in the following term, with expressions of interest opening one term before delivery.
For help with your expression of interest or general questions contact [email protected].
For programme or learning‑related questions, Te Ataarangi can support you through their email at [email protected].
For ESL access or password-related queries, please contact the N4L Service Desk on 0800 422 599 or at [email protected]
Yes. There is no limit on how many staff from a single school can participate. All teachers and support staff who use The New Zealand Curriculum and have an active ESL are eligible to register (subject to available places).
Mō te rauemi
Te Kura Raunui is an online te reo Māori training programme for teachers and kaiako, and is launching in Term 2, 2026.
