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This strategy includes a focus on developing a strong and balanced Māori staff profile within the tertiary education system. This means Māori being well represented in TEO staffing, particularly in teaching staff and decision-making positions.

Currently, the only available information on staffing by ethnicity relates to teaching staff. This information comes from the New Zealand Census. No information on ethnicity of staff is collected systematically within the tertiary education system.

Low proportion of tertiary teaching workforce are Māori

It would appear that Māori teaching staff are under-represented compared with the proportion of Māori students. There has also been little growth in the proportion of Māori tertiary teachers from 1996 to 2001, in a period where there was rapid growth in Māori student proportions.

The 2001 Census showed that within the Tertiary Teaching Professional occupational category, 8.4 percent of tertiary teachers in 1996 were Māori. This rose slightly to 8.6 percent in 2001. This compares with 11.6 percent and 18.5 percent of students in respective years.

Māori staff often report high workloads. They are expected to fulfil a number of roles, including support and mentoring of Māori students, cultural advice and support for their organisation, as well as teaching and/or research. The work they do is often not officially recognised by their organisation in terms of hours and pay.

Potential for increased recruitment

Māori completions at degree and postgraduate level provide an indication of the emerging pool of qualified Māori who may be able to teach in tertiary education. From 1997 to 1999, there was a steady increase in Māori degree completions, but this has levelled off from 1999 onwards. Postgraduate completions for Māori rose steadily from 1997 to 2000 and then levelled off, with a slight fall in 2002.

Figure 58: Postgraduate and degree qualification completions by Māori students, 2002

However, there were still around 2,700 Māori who completed degree and postgraduate qualifications in 2002. This is more than double the total number of Māori tertiary teaching professionals recorded in the 2001 Census.

This suggests that the challenge is for TEOs to attract and retain an increased number of Māori graduates as teaching staff, as well as providing better support and recognition for existing Māori staff.

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• Table of Contents

• The Baseline Picture

• Cross Strategy Indicators

• Raise foundation skills

• Skills for our knowledge society

• Strengthen research and knowledge creation

• Te rautaki mātauranga Māori

• Pacific people’s development and success

• Capability and quality

• Technical and Data Definitions