The Ministry of Education alongside The House of Ariki has successfully concluded the Umeia te Maro Kura Symposium, a landmark Indigenous Education Conference held in Rarotonga from 5–8 May 2025. With the theme “Rebuilding Our Future: Language, Culture, and Identity in Cook Islands Education,” the four-day national event brought together educators, students, traditional leaders, diaspora representatives, community voices, and international experts to reimagine education from a culturally grounded perspective.
This symposium directly aligns with the priorities outlined in the Education Master Plan 2024–2034, which calls for a dual education system that preserves Cook Islands Māori identity while also preparing students for success in a global environment.
“This is not a moment of crisis – it is a moment of courage. We now move from conversation to commitment,” said Ministry CEO Ngavaevae Papatua, who facilitated the event.
Each day featured a keynote address from influential figures in indigenous education, offering both inspiration and practical frameworks for change:
- Sir Ian Taylor shared how digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, can help transmit indigenous knowledge across generations.
- Hilda Halkyard-Harawira offered insights from the Māori language revitalisation movement, showing how grassroots leadership can drive national transformation.
- Professor Nicholas Lewis examined the role of education in connecting the Cook Islands’ global diaspora with its homeland.
- Hone Harawira delivered a compelling call for community-led education and challenged Cook Islanders to build their own culturally grounded system.
- Kelvin Davis emphasized the importance of strategic leadership in implementing dual-pathway education that supports both identity and achievement.
- Nathan and Yvette Durie shared the success of kaupapa Māori schools that integrate cultural knowledge, wellbeing, and high performance.
"Culture is not a subject. It is the foundation of education," said one panelist.
- A commitment to establishing heritage-based and immersion schools in the Cook Islands
- Development of a dual education model that balances academic achievement with cultural knowledge and practice
- A call for curriculum reform that reflects Cook Islands values, land, language, and genealogy
- Initiating pilot immersion programs by January 2026
- Supporting the establishment of two fully resourced immersion schools by 2027
- Building partnerships to co-design curriculum and learning environments that reflect Cook Islands Māori identity
- Investing in the training, resourcing, and recognition of Māori-speaking teachers
The name Umeia te Maro Kura means to bind the sacred girdle – a symbol of protecting what is most precious. The symposium affirmed the collective responsibility to preserve and pass on language, land, culture, and values through education.
The Ministry of Education thanks all speakers, panelists, facilitators, and participants for their contributions to this historic moment in Cook Islands education.
"I want to be an A-class Cook Islander, not a B-class New Zealander."
-Student speaker Ezekiela Tuatea Tatuava-Enjoy captured the spirit of the event with this statement.