Skip Content
Stephen Hovell: Tauira - Tikanga, Te Reo Māori

After a teaching career spanning more than 40 years, retirement gave Stephen Hovell the time he needed to embark on his te reo Māori journey.

“I’m retired now and I’ve got a bit of Māori blood so it was just the right time,” he says.

Stephen taught at several Northland schools after heading to te Tai Tokerau in 1971 - including seven years as principal at Te Hapua - and says while he still finds learning vocabulary a challenge, he’s loved learning te reo Māori with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in Kaitaia.

“I find this learning very fulfilling, personally,” he says.

“It’s a real challenge though, it doesn’t come easy.”

Stephen has studied te reo up to the total immersion Level 5 Te Rōnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi and this year tackled the Level 3 Te Whāinga o te ao Tikanga programme.

He says studying with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has enabled him to delve into his own whānau history and it’s been more about learning with the heart, rather than the mind.

“It’s really interesting, the assignments we’ve had have allowed me to explore my own family, where they’re from, our marae and things like that, and I just feel a lot more closely related to my tūpuna, I identify a lot more closely with them now.”

And he’s developed close relationships with his kaiako and fellow students.

“I think we’re quite a close whānau. Our kaiako let us work at a level that’s suited to us, suited too our particular mode of learning. They’re committed to te reo but they’re committed to the tauira as well.

I like the principles of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and the values that they espouse. It’s just the feeling of whānau, that’s probably the best word with which I can sum up this place,” he says.

While he lives alone, limiting his opportunities to kōrero i te reo Māori, Stephen uses Facebook to improve his writing in te reo Māori and speaks as often as he can.

“It’s one thing to write, it’s another thing to kōrero so I tend to talk to people in the street, at the fish and chip shop, stuff like that. It’s a challenge but it’s one that I accept.”

And it’s one he encourages others to undertake.

“I think because of the whānau environment, it’s quite encouraging. It’s a place where students are safe to make mistakes and not get laughed at, not get put down, but actually get encouraged by the others. I think it’s an encouraging environment here and it’s an awesome place to learn. I absolutely love it.”

Find out more about our te reo Māori and tikanga Māori programmes.  

 Back to news & events

Published On: 14 May 2021

Article By: Tracey Cooper



Other Articles

  • 31 July 2025

    Whānau fuelled success at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

    Nadia MacDonald’s journey through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s Diploma in Small Business and Project Management highlights the power of whānau support, Māori values, and practical learning. Discover how she balanced work, study, and parenting to achieve success and uplift her community.

  • 24 July 2025

    Tamariki once were cherished

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s Te Manawahoukura Rangahau Centre releases Taku Waipiataata, Taku Hei Tāwhiri, a powerful report calling for a revival of gentle, respectful Māori parenting. Discover how tūpuna child-rearing practices can transform whānau wellbeing and uplift future generations.

  • 24 July 2025

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa chief executive Evie O’Brien announced as Te Kura Toroa

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa celebrates its 40th anniversary by bestowing chief executive Evie O’Brien with the enduring title of Te Kura Toroa. Discover the cultural significance of this new role and its reflection of leadership, kaitiakitanga, and Māori values.

  • 23 July 2025

    Māori musician's reo Māori journey leads to wānanga kaiako role

    Jordyn Rapana, known as Jordyn With A Why, shares her inspiring journey of learning te reo Māori to raise her tamariki in a reo-speaking home. From immersion study to becoming a kaiako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, discover how music, whānau, and culture shaped her path.