Abstract:
RPL offers distinct advantages for mature students whose learning from life and work experiences are given formal credit in an academic context. For mature Maori students RPL encourages participation in courses that give credit for knowledge and skills which may have been gained in a different (Maori) cultural context. Very little research into the effect of RPL on indigenous cultures is available. For Maori people there are issues to be discussed and debated in order to clarify the likely impact of RPL on the Maori community. These discussions are particularly important to the development of RPL policy and programmes in New Zealand universities. This paper will acknowledge some of the advantages RPL is likely to have for Maori. It will also identify some of the concerns and issues that are currently being discussed in Maori communities and in tertiary institutions.