Arapine Walker

Arapine brings to Venture Group expertise on Maori learner achievement and iwi education development, a broad knowledge base on matauranga Maori, and particular strengths in te reo and its relationship to educational achievement.  She specialises in research, analysis and programme management.

Arapine is of Te Arawa, Tuwharetoa, and Tainui descent.  She now lives in the Far North with her husband (Nga Puhi, Ngati Kahu) and 4 children.  Arapine has a B.A. and Te Pinakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi / Diploma in Te Reo Maori (Te Wananga o Aotearoa).

Arapine spent 10 years in the public service, where she held various positions in Housing Corporation and the New Zealand Community Funding Agency (Department of Social Welfare).  She spent two years studying te reo at Te Wananga-o-Raukawa and was employed by the wananga to establish their Graduate Studies Department.

Following this, Arapine was Chief Officer Maori, Ministry of Education (part-time), and a Preferred Provider of the Ministry of Education to deliver governance and management training for Boards of Trustees of Kura Kaupapa. 

More recently, Arapine was Kaitakawaenga (Executive Officer), for Te Runanga Nui o Nga Kura Kaupapa Maori o Aotearoa Inc.  During this time, she drafted in Maori the Framework for Kura Kaupapa Maori.

Recent work projects with Venture Group:

Workplace Literacy Project (Arapiki Ako Project Taitokerau).  An Arapiki Ako funded field-based research project on the LLN needs and issues of rural native speakers of te reo.  The research explored the use of te reo Maori as a language of communication with clients in the workplace.

ACE Collaborative Activities Project:  Ensuring that matauranga Maori was taken into account in the development of the Collaborative Activities Funding Framework.