Tereora College

Tereora College is the only institution in the Cook Islands that offers students education through to the end of Year 13. It is located on the main island, Rarotonga. It is the largest secondary school in all of the Cook Islands, both in size and student numbers.

Students in the junior school (years 9-10) follow the Cook Islands curriculum. In years 11-13, students are taught the New Zealand curriculum and enter for the New Zealand Qualification Authority NCEA exams at levels 1-3.

Students are also offered the opportunity to enter for specialist awards such as the Australian Maths Competitions.

As of February 2008 ((later figures?)), 633 students are enrolled at Tereora College. These students have a wide range of abilities and many are bi-lingual speaking both English and Cook Islands Māori.

Outer island students wishing to continue their education beyond Year 12 must generally come to Tereora College - and thus to the island of Rarotonga - to do this. Some of these students come on scholarships provided through the Ministry of Education. Those students who come from the Northern Cook Islands in particular often have English as their third language.

There is a slowly increasing amount of virtual schooling going on also.

The main areas of focus for the College are the achievement of academic, cultural and sporting excellence.

Its web site is at http://tereora.edu.ck

History

Tereora College was established in 1895 as a London Missionary Society (L.M.S.) Boarding School. In 1911 it was closed until the early 1950s when it re-opened on its present site.

Current information (2012)

There seems a lack of recent official information on or from Tereora College. However, a new Principal from New Zealand arrived in January 2012 and the college was positively featured in the local press in February 2012. See the References below.

Virtual schooling

It is assumed that the teaching via Skype referred to in other reports is originated by Tereora College, but further enquiries are being made.

References

• COOK ISLANDS: Meet the new Tereora principal, Pasifika Media Association, 6 October, 2011, http://pacificmedia.org/archives/6850
• "NCI extends a warm welcome to Mr Bali Haque, Tereora College’s new Principal from New Zealand", Netball Cook Islands Newsletter 2/2012, 30 January 2012
• "Tereora College laughs and listens", Cook Islands News, 29 February 2012, http://www.cinews.co.ck/2012/February/Wed29/other.htm#1202270925

See also:

• http://www.ciherald.co.ck/articles/h607f.htm
• http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/profiles/students/dayna_napa.shtml

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