In education, strength comes from connection. No single strand can hold the system together on its own — equity, capability, teaching excellence, and small providers are all interwoven. This cartoon uses the metaphor of a whāriki (woven mat) to show how, when one strand unravels, the whole fabric weakens. It’s a reminder that resilience is collective, not individual.
Ako Aotearoa Closure Proposal
On 4 September, Massey University confirmed in an internal announcement that it is “with considerable reluctance” proposing to disestablish all staff positions at Ako Aotearoa by 31 December 2025. The reason is stark: the Government’s May Budget decision to withdraw TEC funding has left the service financially unsustainable.
As Giselle Byrnes, Massey’s Provost, put it plainly:
“The possible absence of Ako Aotearoa will mean a huge loss for the tertiary education sector. This would be a loss of expertise, talent, capacity and capability building and a significant loss of convening power for the sector, especially for smaller organisations who do not have the internal capacity or capability to deliver on supporting teaching excellence.”
The language is clear: a huge loss.
And it is not only Massey saying so. Tertiary Insight this week also noted the change process and the looming consultation deadline of 1 October. The Tertiary Education Union has already described the proposal as “devastating,” highlighting the impact on staff and the national capability they represent.
There’s also excellent commentary from Roger Smyth who states:
“I have been critical of the performance of Ako in recent years and I stand by that critical assessment. Ako performed well in its early years. It may have needed improvement; maybe a different model might have helped. It didn’t need to be disestablished altogether.“
What Ako Aotearoa Has Meant
Since 2007, Ako Aotearoa has played a unique role in New Zealand’s tertiary education system:
- Expertise and leadership: Guiding evidence-based practice in teaching and learning.
- Equity and inclusion: Elevating Māori, Pacific, and neurodiverse learner priorities.
- Convening power: Bringing universities, wānanga, ITPs, PTEs, and industry together under a single umbrella of teaching excellence.
- Support for small providers: Ensuring those without internal resource could still access professional learning and sector-wide initiatives.
This convening role is irreplaceable. No other agency or provider is seen as equally neutral or legitimate in hosting the national conversation about teaching excellence. Without Ako, the “table” itself disappears — along with the trust, shared vision, and sense of collective purpose that have taken years to weave together.
What the Sector Stands to Lose
If Ako closes, we lose not just staff positions — we lose:
- National capability in literacy, numeracy, cultural capability, and teaching excellence.
- Institutional memory of hundreds of funded projects, resources, and networks.
- Trusted space where the sector meets as equals, not competitors.
It is easy to underestimate the cost of losing “convening power” until it is gone. Without Ako, conversations fragment, duplication increases, and smaller voices struggle to be heard.
Where to From Here?
Massey has made clear that it cannot underwrite a national service without government support. TEC has signalled its funding decisions. On the face of it, the door closes on 31 December.
But should it?
Across the sector there are already murmurs of alternatives. Could a braided funding model emerge — where government, iwi, industry, big tech, and philanthropy each hold a strand of the whāriki? Could a partnership or consortium provide the neutral ground needed to continue the work?
These ideas are not yet plans. But they are possibilities worth naming. Because if we allow Ako Aotearoa’s expertise and convening power simply to vanish, rebuilding them later will be far more costly, if it can be done at all.
Closing Thought
The sector has been told to prepare for a “huge loss.” We should take that warning seriously. But loss does not have to be the end of the story. Skilled educators, sector leaders, and partners still have time to ask: What comes next? Who holds the centre?
Ako Aotearoa’s flame has lit the way for nearly two decades. Whether it goes out or is carried forward in new form depends on the choices we make in the weeks ahead.
These reflections are offered in a personal capacity, to spark wider sector dialogue about the future of teaching excellence in Aotearoa. They do not represent the views of any organisation.