Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

High student drop out rate at Otaki wananga

Updated at 7:45 am on 9 November 2011

Tertiary Education Commission figures show the Otaki-based Te Wananga o Raukawa is the worst of three Maori universities in terms of students completing their qualifications and staying in study.

Only 43% of students successfully finish their courses, compared with almost twice as many at Te Wananga o Aotearoa (76%), and Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi (89%).

Te Wananga o Raukawa's Chief Executive, Mereana Selby, says the statistics are not good.

But she says other wananga tend to select already high achieving students for their programmes.

Ms Selby says Raukawa's philosophy is to accept all those who are willing to learn.

She says work has started to improve the low course completion rate, with many tutors undergoing professional development to strengthen students' understanding of numeracy and literacy.

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