Mō Manawatū | About Manawatū

The name Manawatū, given to the area by our Māori ancestor Hau, means, ‘heart standing still’. After travelling through and naming other areas, Hau looked down upon the Manawatū river with great apprehension. When he saw the river, his heart stood still because of its size and beauty. ‘Manawatū’ is broken down into two words; ‘manawa’ meaning heart and ‘tū’ meaning standing still.



At the heart of Te Kāreti o Manawatū is our students. We recognise that they all have their own unique gifts and talents.It is our collective responsibility as a wider school community to ensure that our tamariki have the skills, dispositions and qualifications they need to enable them to reach their full potential.



We at Manawatū College acknowledge and value the cultural values, beliefs and whakapapa (genealogy) of all parts of the school community. Recognition is given to mana whenua (whānau, hapū and iwi with chieftainship of land*), and relationships are developed and maintained with them and other local tangata whenua.



We encourage the participation of tangata whenua in the governance and management of the school and ensure equity in the distribution of resources, the achievement of students, the employment of staff and decision making on all matters. We are committed to promoting and supporting the preservation and development of te reo me ōna tikanga Māori and ensure the protection of these and other taonga (treasures) of tangata whenua.



Opportunities are created to share understandings between the two parties to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and promote kotahitanga (unity) amongst the school and wider community.