Three year Police pursuit ends successfully
While some people celebrate their 21st with a yard glass, Eruera Rāwiri marked the milestone by receiving the key to a career in the Police.
In February, the Tairāwhiti constable graduated from the Royal New Zealand Police College on his 21st birthday and got straight into the mahi on his first posting, to his hometown of Gisborne.
However, it took three years to get there after the former Gisborne Boys High School student first heard about a police preparation programme Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaiako Hogi Hogarth was delivering at the Whirikoka Campus.
Eru, who is of Te Arawa descent, thought it would be a good career choice but knew it would take time.
“I knew I wouldn't get in straight away but it was something that I could work toward. From there, I put in an application to join the course and I was accepted,” he says.
In 2013 he was one of 18 tauira to enrol on the course.
“That was great, I met a lot of people around my age and we built some solid friendships because everyone was working towards the same goal. I don't think I would've been able to get through without them.”
Eru passed both the theory and fitness testing by the time he was 18 and also went through the police vetting process, went on patrol with police officers to get an idea of what was involved and got his full driver’s licence, which is a prerequisite for the job. But he still faced a wait.
“When I recruited there weren't any vacancies in Gisborne. When that happens you have to sit in a candidate pool for the district you've chosen,” Eru says.
He continued working in a local supermarket, maintained his fitness and met more local police through playing soccer but it was still two and a half years before a vacancy came up in October last year and he spent the next four months at Police College with 40 other fresh recruits.
It was a pretty daunting experience, he says.
“Basically it was 16 weeks of study then once the course is finished you've still got to go through another physical competency test to show that you're fit for duty.”
Eru passed those tests and was the youngest of five constables to graduate from his Te Wānanga o Aotearoa cohort. Overall, he says it was worth the wait and the hard work involved to proudly take his place in the police force.
“It's been great. I couldn't think of a better 21st birthday present.”
Pūrongo whakahirahira
Featured stories
Strengthening Indigenous‑led global partnerships
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust to host delegation from Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford Delegation and formalise Māori Curatorial Partnership
Upholding reo Māori beyond kura kaupapa
At 18 years old, Te Tatau Strother walked into his first Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi class at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa feeling like the youngest voice in a room full of experienced reo Māori speakers.
Weaving a shared journey of growth
What began as an opportunity to learn something new for Riri (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Pākehā) and Rich Rio (Kuki Airani, Ngāti Maniapoto) grew into a journey of confidence, deeper connection to te ao Māori, and a shared sense of purpose as husband and wife.
Cambridge Museum project guided by wānanga tikanga studies
Cambridge Museum manager, Elizabeth Harvey, is combining her tikanga studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa with her passion for local history, to support the museum’s Voices of Cambridge project.
Wānanga launches first of their kind mātauranga Māori certificates, marking a new era for Indigenous knowledge education
Responding to the growing needs and aspirations of tauira, iwi and communities, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is breaking new ground with the launch of 2 new Level 4 certificates that will be the first standalone programmes of their kind in Aotearoa.
Learning tikanga to strengthen community work
After making the move to Aotearoa in 2014 from Germany, Almaz Bergz set out to gain a better understanding of the people, whenua, and culture that shape life here.
Thriving as a kaiako after He Korowai Ākonga
When Marlena Martin began her studies in He Korowai Ākonga – Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) in 2023, she never imagined where it would take her and how much she would grow as an individual.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new international reo Māori learning
iReo is a flexible, self-directed, online short course made up of 5 standalone modules, each running over 6 weeks. Learners can study at their own pace, weaving te reo Māori into everyday life alongside work, whānau, and other commitments.
Wānanga business programme helps launch The Dog Nanny
Ōtautahi local Jane Dungey turned her passion for animals into The Dog Nanny after completing the Certificate in Small Business at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
From closed doors to open pathways
After the closure of Grace Foundation Whanganui, Craig Kara used his Manaaki Tāngata studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa to create Te Ara Kimihia, a kaupapa supporting tāne toward positive futures. His journey of healing, leadership, and transformation now inspires others to find their own pathway forward.
Governance grounded in te ao Māori for future generations
Discover how Māori governance grounded in te ao Māori is shaping future generations. Learn about Manu Taiko – Toro Parirau, a unique programme at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that empowers whānau with tikanga-based leadership and decision-making skills.
Companion of Te Apārangi, Champion of Te Reo Māori
Te Rita Papesch, musician, educator, and kapa haka stalwart, has been inducted as a Companion of the Royal Society Te Apārangi. Discover her inspiring journey of music, haka, and te reo Māori, and how her lifelong dedication to Māori culture shaped generations.