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Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura) provides distance education from early childhood to senior secondary (NCEA Level 3). Our kaiako (teachers) and in-region kaimahi (staff) work with ākonga (students), their whānau and communities to help our learners achieve their potential.

About us

Te Kura, previously known as the Correspondence School, is New Zealand's largest state-funded online distance education provider. With over 30,000 enrolments each year, Te Kura ākonga are based throughout New Zealand and overseas. Our ākonga come from all walks of life, and have diverse interests, needs and goals.

The primary mode of curriculum delivery at Te Kura is a blend of face-to-face and distance learning. Kaiako and whānau make good use of My Te Kura, our online learning environment, making the curriculum accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere – ki te tī, ki tā, ki te katoa.

Te Kura has adopted the international Big Picture Learning philosophy. Each learner is supported by a personalised learning plan which is relevant, authentic, and connected to their interests and passions. Over the years, Big Picture has evolved into Te Kura’s local curriculum, called Te Ara Pounamu. 'Leaving to Learn' is a key aspect of Te Ara Pounamu, where ākonga can connect with their hapori (community) to widen, enhance, and deepen their learning. Learners are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities such as clubs, internships, volunteering, and career exploration. These experiences provide an important foundation for future pathways.
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Our vision and values

Our vision at Te Kura is that our ‘ākonga achieve their educational and personal goals, enabling them to participate effectively as members of their communities’.

Read our current annual plan to learn about the programmes and initiatives we have in place to help achieve this vision.

At Te Kura we demonstrate by our actions that we:

- put the success of our ākonga at the forefront of everything we do

- respect each other, ākonga, their whānau and our partner organisations

- see strength in diversity

- celebrate innovation and success 

- communicate openly and honestly.

The meaning of our name

‘Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu’ refers to connecting ākonga with learning. There is a wealth of meaning behind the name, reflecting the role we play within the education sector, our diverse ākonga, and our vision for their achievement.

The common meaning of ‘aho’ is ‘rope’ or ‘line’, but the more traditional meaning is about genealogy and connecting back to history and people, our ancestors. It also means ‘radiant bright light’, ‘the highest light’ and ‘open space’. The relevance of this interpretation relates to the internet and our online learning environment. ‘Te aho’ opens up new worlds.

The modern and most used meaning of ‘kura’ is ‘school’. However, ‘kura’ also means ‘knowledge’ and refers to the concept of knowledge.

‘Pounamu’ is the result of a geological transformative process. Pounamu is a treasure, whether it is rough or polished. Our ākonga are like greenstone, they are treasures undergoing transformation through learning. The link to ‘te aho’ means the pounamu has a whakapapa, so our life’s experience has a whakapapa to it. Wherever we go, we take that story with us.

‘Te Ara Pounamu – follow the greenstone path of education.’
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