This article was first published by RNZ.

Te Reo Māori teaching students say they have been “left in the dark” over delayed scholarship payments, leaving them struggling to meet the demands of full-time study and teaching practicum.

Te Waka Whakarei Career-Changer Scholarship, offered by Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga (Ministry of Education), provides crucial financial support for those looking to teach in Kaupapa Māori or Māori-medium settings.

Each year, the scholarship provides recipients with a $30,000 allowance, paid over the period of their study (limited to 3 years) to offset the loss of income while training to become qualified kaiako.

A third-year Auckland-based student studying for a Bachelor of Education in Huarahi Māori, Kowhai Paewhenua, said the delayed payments are taking a toll on day-to-day living and her mental well-being.

“Usually, payments are made in February, but nothing has come through this year. I sent my transcript, confirmed I passed, but since then, no communication, no updates, no emails,” Paewhenua said.

According to TeachNZ’s ‘Allowance and fee payments guidance document’, scholarship payments are typically disbursed in fortnightly instalments between February and November.

However, this year, recipients have not received their allowances, creating “massive financial strain,” Paewhenua said.

“In the last two years, [payments] haven’t gone any later than March - like February, it’s always within that month.”

The week prior to the usual payment week, Paewhenua said she reached out to TeachNZ regarding her scholarship as she had not heard from them yet.

“I was like, ‘Oh, I want to know what’s going on. I haven’t heard anything’. So, I emailed them - nothing. Rang them - just goes to voicemail. And then the week that I usually get paid from them, I rang them again. Didn’t get paid. And it’s just been like that ever since - up to today.”

RNZ understands that other students, including Paewhenua, have turned to StudyLink for help where they’ve been told by representatives that the payments could be coming “next week”.

“I’d have to go through StudyLink. They’d be like, ‘hey, has there been any updates from TeachNZ?’ They’re like, ‘oh no, not yet. But hopefully, it’ll be in next week’. And it’s just the same. Same thing. No contact, no nothing, no update, no automatic email when you email them - which they usually send - just left me in the dark.”

Multiple Scholarship Recipients Affected

TeachNZ is a unit within the Ministry of Education responsible for administering more than 600 scholarships for training teachers in any given year.

“We have recently identified that some scholarship payments due to be distributed to students in 2025 have not been paid on time,” Education Workforce leader Anna Welanyk said.

“We understand this is very concerning for affected students and we apologise for the delays, which we have prioritised for immediate resolution.”

The ministry is still investigating how many students have been impacted but its initial analysis indicates 57 Teach NZ Scholarship payments, so far, were not made on time.

“We have a team working on the resolution with StudyLink and in the last 48 hours we have prioritised and completed 57 payments. We strongly encourage scholarship recipients who have not received expected payments to email us at teachnz.admin@education.govt.nz A number of scholarship recipients, some of whom wish to remain anonymous told RNZ, they have not been paid for months.”

“One recipient was told they would receive payment on the 11th of February - which was still a late payment,” Welanyk said.

“I haven’t had any contact from them since, no updated payment, no reply to an email I had sent on the 31st of January. Every time I’ve tried to get through I am unable to.”

They said this delay and lack of communication had severely impacted their financial situations.

“Because there was no update on the payments with [TeachNZ], I thought that I would get paid by them. As a result, my Studylink payments have been cut and I have now been an unpaid Māori student for the last seven and a half weeks.”

The student said she had had to lean on others for financial help.

“This is something I tend to struggle with, but I am fortunate enough to live with my whānau. If I were to not live with them, I don’t think I would be able to live comfortably - which makes me concerned for those who are in the same situation.”

Charmah Ruka Tepania, a scholarship recipient, said there had been zero communication from TeachNZ regarding their allowance payments.

“Nōku te waimārie kei tōku taha ōku mātua hei taituarā, hei āwhina i mātou. Nā rātou ngā nama i whakautu. Nā rātou ahau e kai ai, e inu ai, e ora ai i wēnei marama kua taha ake. Mei kore ko rātou, ka hīkina ngā taumaha mō te taha pūtea.”

I’m very lucky to have my parents supporting me. They have paid my debts, they are the reason I have been able to eat and drink over these last few months. Without them the financial burden on me would increase.

Call for ‘better support’ for Te Reo Māori teachers

Paewhenua said herself and other students' frustration has only grown as they find themselves repeatedly waiting without resolution.

“It’s hōhā,” she said.

“I’m definitely having to ration hard. I feel for my flatmates when bills come in, I can’t contribute as much as I wish I could. But I’m just grateful they’re very understanding and they know the financial position I’m in.”

“We’ve already started our first part of practicum. Which means costs of rent, food, commuting there and back, and not actually having enough to do that. It’s either, do I put my money into gas, or just ride on the E-light and buy food? I’m having to battle through my physical health, mental health, and financial anxiety.”

Paewhenua said it was hard to live that way.

“If there’s no communication, that puts us in a position where, in our second part of practicum, we’re literally living off whatever we have, like bumming off our whānau who are already struggling.”

“Everyone’s struggling, but as students and teachers that aren’t getting paid to actually do these practicums, this is free labour for our learning. I can’t do that for free. Like, I can’t just merely teach just off the bit of passion or anything like that. Unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in.”

Aotearoa needs to take better care of Māori and Pasifika teachers, she said.

“I want to be a te reo Māori teacher because I feel like this is my way of giving back to the community.

“Growing up back home in the pā, where I was raised around the reo, and knowing that there’s a lot of tamariki in urban areas that haven’t had the same experiences as me. You know, it’s important for them - for the tamariki.”

“It’s just so unfortunate that this is impacting Māori. It’s the Māori teachers.”

Welanyk said the ministry is “contacting scholarship recipients to confirm the status of payments that are due. In some cases, this will involve us supporting individuals to provide all the required documentation needed, so payments can be made.

“There are multiple reasons payments may be delayed and until our analysis is complete, we cannot identify the cause of the delayed payments, which may differ in each case.

“Our first priority is ensuring the payments are made, so students have the required support.”

By Layla Bailey-McDowell of RNZ.