About Us
This section explains what we do at Te Kura. You can learn a lot about us and what makes us tick, whether you are an ākonga (student), a prospective ākonga, employee, a prospective employee, a partner organisation, or whether we’ve been in the news.
Watch the following video to see who we are:
Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura) is New Zealand’s state distance education provider, offering a wide range of programmes from early childhood through to NCEA Level 3.
With well over 28,000 enrolments a year, we are strongly connected to many diverse communities throughout New Zealand. We have full-time, young adult and adult learners, and we provide dual tuition to ākonga enrolled with other education providers.
The Correspondence School was set up in 1922 to provide education at primary school level for what was originally thought would be about 25 ākonga living in remote districts. It quickly grew within weeks to about 100 and by the end of the year there were 347 students. In 1929, it expanded to cater for secondary school ākonga. Since then, the school has continued to grow and develop to meet the changing demands placed on it as its role in the education sector has evolved. In 2009, after a period of consultation with kaimahi, we introduced the school’s current name ‒ Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu, which refers to connecting ākonga with learning.
Our regionalised structure allows us to deliver education to our ākonga across New Zealand through seven wāhanga (Northern- Auckland, Central North - Hamilton/Hastings, Central South - Wellington, Southern - Christchurch, Overseas and Early Childhood, and Te Aka Taumatua Immersion and Bilingual Provision and smaller offices, in Whangarei, Tauranga, Rotorua, Whangarei, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Nelson and Dunedin.
Free for eligible students aged 19 and under
Enrolment with Te Kura is free if you meet the Ministry of Education’s eligibility criteria. Young adults aged 16 to 19 (and not turning 20 in the year of enrolment) who are not enrolled at another school full-time can enrol with us for free too. Our courses are also available for a small fee to adults aged 20 and over.
Students who are at a face-to-face school can study courses that aren’t available at their own school. Some eligibility criteria apply.
Curriculum
Our early childhood programme follows the national early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, while our Year 1–13 programme is based on the New Zealand Curriculum. At Years 11–13 we offer registered, accredited and approved courses in many subjects and at all levels of NCEA.
Personalised support
You are supported through:
- individual support (with your learning advisor to help you plan your programme of learning based on your passions, interests and learning goals)
- qualified subject teachers (just an online discussion, phone call or email away)
- access to advisories in many regions (where you can talk to teachers and meet other students.)
If you are a full-time or early childhood student, you’re also required to have a nominated supervisor to help you keep on track. This is usually a parent or close relative.
Contact with students and teachers
Although Te Kura is a distance school, you won’t feel alone. You will get the opportunity to interact with other students at event days, subject days and advisories. You’ll also share and exchange ideas with your teachers and fellow students through discussions on My Te Kura, our online learning environment.
Our teachers will stay in close contact with you, including ongoing face-to-face meetings if you need it.
Interactive online learning
Most of our courses are online or include supplementary online resources, particularly at Years 7–13. Each online course includes interactive online modules featuring audio-visual resources, quizzes and other online activities to check your understanding and reinforce your learning. You’ll have the support of your teachers and other students through discussion forums, where you can share ideas and work collaboratively. There are also plenty of offline activities.