Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis said an establishment board would be appointed once a suitable site was found in the Titahi Bay area. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
A new kura kaupapa school is to be established in Porirua to meet growing need in the area.
Tikanga and kawa, as well as the teachings of tangata whenua Ngāti Toa Rangatira, will be embedded in the curriculum.
Associate Minister of Education Kelvin Davis said over time it would provide a local option for up to 200 tamariki on the western side of the Porirua harbour.
"This new wharekura is another major step forward in the development of our Māori Medium Education Network, given almost a third of ākonga in the Porirua region identify as Māori," he said in a statement.
"It will help local ākonga succeed in an environment that uplifts and protects iwi values."
The kura is expected to open by 2027, initially for years one to eight, with secondary levels added over subsequent years.
Davis said once a suitable site had been found in the Titahi Bay area an establishment board would be appointed.
A new kura is also being developed in the Manawatū town of Feilding, as the government looks to grow the number of students in Māori medium education.