Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Crown risks infringing Treaty - wananga

Updated at 10:56 pm on 12 December 2011

The Crown body which funds tertiary institutions is being told it is at risk of infringing Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Tertiary Education Commission has trimmed $1.9 million from Te Wananga O Raukawa's budget due to poor performance.

The financial sanction relates to course completion rates - only 43% of undergraduates finish their studies.

However, the founder of Otaki-based Te Wananga O Raukawa, Professor Whatarangi Winiata, says the Tertiary Education Commission is failing to measure performance by kaupapa and tikanga values.

He says the wananga has set 104 of its own targets - and is achieving 74% of them.

Professor Winiata says Maori have tino rangatiratanga, or sovereignty over their taonga, or treasures - and included in taonga is matauranga Maori, or knowledge.

The Tertiary Education Commission says all institutions are measured in the same way - by course and qualification completion, and student progression and retention.

The commission says it's working with Te Wananga O Raukawa to increase the course completion rate - starting with a target of 55%.

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