Tikipunga High School in Whangarei has become the first school outside of Auckland to take part in a pioneering research project which aims to increase the number of Māori and Pacific Island students from low-income backgrounds attending university.
The Starpath Project, based at The University of Auckland, aims to transform educational outcomes for students who are under-represented in higher education in New Zealand through evidence-based research.
Starpath researchers will follow the educational journey of Tikipunga High School students as they progress from Year 9 to 13, looking particularly at issues around achievement and retention. The project will identify the barriers to further study when underachieving students diverge from the path to tertiary education, and then develop strategies for schools and students to overcome these barriers.
Close attention will be given to the experience of Māori students, and how NCEA as a qualification system impacts the life chances of different groups of students. The transition to university of those students who do progress will be followed.
"Starpath is excited to be working with Tikipunga High School," says Associate Professor Elizabeth McKinley, Director of Starpath. Moving to Northland gives Starpath an opportunity to focus on a more rural and significantly Māori community. In particular we wish to work with Tikipunga to investigate ways to increase the number of their students to degree level study,".
Peter Garelja of Tikipunga High School says that they are delighted to be selected as a Starpath school. "We are very ambitious for our students and have been pleased with the significant upward shifts in the NCEA results we are achieving. Involvement in this project will enable us to further enhance our skills in the use of data and allow the school to develop a sustainable approach towards enabling each student to realise their learning potential."
Northland is of interest to The Starpath Project as it has significant numbers of Māori students and low-decile school students, who are currently under-represented in tertiary education. Northland students face additional challenges compared with their urban counterparts including smaller schools, and less access to educational resources. Although The University of Auckland provides teacher education at the Te Tai Tokerau Campus, and there is the provision of NorthTec in Whangarei, most studentshave to leave home to attend a tertiary institution.
Tikipunga High School is decile two school with a roll of 443 students, and has 70 percent Māori enrolment.
The extension of the Starpath Project into Northland has been assisted by a grant from the ASB Community Trust.
